An appeal against a fine of £3,500 imposed by magistrates in Folkstone, Kent, on a 53-year-old man from Thamesmead last December was dismissed at a Crown Court hearing at Ashford this week.

In August 2006 Anthony John Dovaston had attempted to import nearly 1 tonne of carp illegally from France without fish health certification. He appealed against the severity of the sentence.

After hearing the circumstances of the case His Honour Judge McDonald told the appellant that it was difficult to imagine a worse case of fish smuggling. The judge went on to say that it had been a well-prepared and cynically executed act involving “horrible cruelty” to the fish, many of which were found to be dead or on the verge of death.

HM Revenue and Customs officers discovered 165 carp in tanks in Mr Dovaston’s hired van. The officers called in Fish Health Inspectors from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas). Officers from the State Veterinary Service were also involved in dealing with the incident.

Fish Health Inspectors humanely slaughtered all of the cargo to prevent further suffering to the animals, and to safeguard against the spread of disease to native fish stocks.

Cefas spokesman senior Fish Health Inspector Alasdair Scott commented: “We would prefer it if people simply stopped smuggling, but if they persist in this activity we will do all we can to stop them to protect our indigenous fish against the very real threat of disease posed by this activity.”

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