Environment Agency Fisheries Officers have recently seized an illegally set fishing net from a river in Kent.

A member of the public had found the net set parallel to the bank and fixed with stakes to the bed of the River Beult. Due to environmental concerns the net was removed immediately, as this river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and also a conservation area.

The discovery of the net in Kent follows the seizure of over £2,000 worth of Dutch fyke nets from the River Meon at the Tichfield Nature Reserve in Hampshire over the weekend.

Chris Conroy, Environment Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist for Kent said: “The Environment Agency regulates all methods of fishing in inland waters by a system of licensing. This double-ended fyke net was unlicensed and the owner had failed to fit an otter guard or to mark the location of the net.

“The Environment Agency will have no hesitation in prosecuting any person responsible for illegal fishing. Our Water Bailiffs are patrolling hotspots on a regular basis and anyone found in contravention of the regulations could face arrest, seizure of equipment, prosecution and fines of up to £2,500.”

If members have any information relating to illegal net fishing, they are requested to phone the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.

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