Environmental Panorama
London – United Kingdom
September of 2005
19/09/2005 - Bridgwater
man was today ordered to pay £350 in
fines and costs after being caught fishing
for elvers with an oversized net.
Environment Agency water bailiffs were carrying
out spot checks on the River Parrett at Saltlands
near Bridgwater on April 5, 2005 when they
discovered Sean Godfrey fishing for elvers.
He produced his elver fishing licence, but
the dip net he was using was 1.65 metres in
length – 40cm longer than the maximum legal
size of 1.25metres.
Godfrey, 35, of Edinburgh Road, Bridgwater
was fined £200 and ordered to pay £150
costs by local magistrates after pleading
guilty to two offences under the Salmon and
Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 and The National
Eel Fishing Byelaws 2004 including fishing
for elvers using an elver dip net greater
than 1.25 meters long and fishing for elvers
other than by means of an instrument which
he was entitled to use in his licence. He
was also ordered to forfeit his net.
‘Elver fishing can be very lucrative and the
prices of the elvers though governed by market
forces can fetch very high prices. They are
at the moment in the region of £435
per kilogram. The price of elvers peaked at
£525 this year,’ said Richard Dearnley
for the Environment Agency.
‘An oversized net gives a fisherman an unfair
advantage enabling him to catch more than
his fair share and therefore reducing the
amount of elvers able to escape into our lakes
and rivers.’
‘While the defendant had a licence he was
still breaking the law by using a net that
was too large. The legislation clearly states
an elver dip net must not have a frame size
greater than 1.25 metres long, 1 metre wide
and 1 metre deep. This prosecution sends out
a clear message that we will catch people
who don’t abide by the rules,’ said Richard
Dearnley.
The Environment Agency is responsible for
enforcing and regulating fisheries and regularly
inspects sites where elver fishing takes place.
It is also responsible for issuing licenses
that cost £65 per year. About 250 fishermen
are licensed to catch elvers - baby eels -
as they enter fresh water after migrating
from their birthplace, the Sargasso Sea.
Members of the public can report suspected
illegal fishing incidents to the Environment
Agency on 0800 80 70 60.
Source:
Environment Agency – United Kingdom (http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk)
Press consultantship (Tricia Cassel-Gerard)
All rights reserved
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