A Cardigan man has to pay a total of £400 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to illegal fishing on the River Teifi in Cardigan last September.
David Nigel Davies of St Mary Street, Cardigan had pleaded guilty at Cardigan Magistrates’ Court on 1 May to fishing for salmon and migratory trout by means of an unlicensed instrument * a net
He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £200 in costs. The Court also made an Order of Forfeiture in respect of seized items, comprising a gill net, an anchor and a fish box.
The Court was told that on 14 September 2006 two Environment Agency Enforcement Officers were conducting a routine early morning patrol on the River Teifi at Cardigan. Whilst doing so they saw a net in the river. It had been set from the right bank near the Gateway supermarket car park.
The two officers maintained their watch on the net and at 615 am they saw a Ford Escort van entering the car park. Two men got out of the vehicle and proceeded to retrieve the net.
The officers, who had taken up a concealed position near the men’s vehicle saw the men approach the net carrying a fish box. As the men returned and entered the car park they were challenged. One man, the defendant, David Nigel Davies stood still, while the other ran off. The officers took possession of the net, an anchor, which had been used as a weight and the fish box.
Following the case an Agency spokesperson said: ‘Migratory salmonid stocks are under pressure, including loss of feeding grounds and netting at sea. Any evidence gained on illegal fisheries activities will lead to appropriate enforcement action. Luckily, on this occasion no fish had actually been taken from the river. Our regular patrols will continue to keep a check on the river.’
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