Agency's crackdown on salmon and sewin poachers
As the salmon and sewin (sea trout) spawning season gets underway, Environment Agency Wales is reminding people of the damage caused by poachers to fish stocks, angling tourism and the Welsh economy.
Agency officers are out and about in an effort to deter those criminals who want to kill these valuable fish.
It is vital that salmon and sewin are allowed to spawn safely and he public are reminded that fishing for these fish at this time of year is illegal by any method.
This is an important time for wild stocks.Whensalmon and sewin are taken before they spawn a whole generation can be wiped out, devastatingfuture stocks.
Wales is a top destination for anglers and millions of pounds has been spent to create a better environment for migratory fish to spawn in Welsh rivers.
Angling is worth approximately £150m to the Welsh economy so it is a worthwhile investment.
People should watch out for anyone using illegal fishing methods such as nets, gaffs and lamps or any suspicious activity on the riverbank.
Any information - including number of people involved, descriptions, location, time and car registration - can be passed on, confidentially, to the Agency's emergency hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
In addition the Agency is continuing to keep a watchful eye, not just for poachers, but also on the places which buy illegally caught fish and sell them to their customers.
Only tagged salmon and sewin from sustainable sources can be sold to food outlets to reduce the use of poaching.
Since 2009, it has been illegal to sell rod-caught salmon and sewin in England and Wales, and all fish caught by licensed net fishers must have a carcass tag attached to show that the fish have come from a legitimate source.
This makes it much more difficult for poachers to sell illegally caught fish.
Bill Purvis, Environment Agency Wales said:
"Poaching is a serious offence with implications for salmon and sewin stocks and for the economy.
"We all have to work together in the fight against criminals targeting our precious fish stocks. Information is treated in the strictest confidence and used to build up a picture of where we need to target our resources.
"We want to send a clear message to anyone who thinks that poaching is acceptable and they can get away with it. We are out there and you will be caught.
"We are asking the public to watch out for anyone using illegal fishing and any informationcan be passed on to the Agency's emergency hotline on 0800 80 70 60.".