Fisheries Enforcement Officers from the Environment Agency (EA) and Durham Constabulary came to the rescue of salmon and sea trout in County Durham last week.
EA Officers were alerted to a potential poaching incident at Wolsingham in Weardale on Tuesday 18th October and Durham Constabulary responded to a request for support.
Four males were stopped on the riverbank, a vehicle was searched, and several prohibited instruments were seized. This included gaffs, which are spears used to impale salmon and sea trout, and high-power torches.
Due to the quick actions of the officers, no fish were taken on this occasion, but the offenders were detained, the risk to the environment was removed and the illegal activity was disrupted.
David Shears, Senior Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency in the North East, said:
"Salmon and sea trout will, over the next couple of months, be entering spawning streams in the upper headwaters of our rivers making them particularly vulnerable to this sort of illegal activity.
"Gaffs, spears and lamps are often used to take migratory salmon and sea trout at this sensitive time. Impaling of fish in this way results in not only the death of fish caught but also causes significant and often fatal wounds to any fish that manage to free themselves.
"On this occasion, the joint response of our enforcement officers and Durham Constabulary prevented what could have been a serious environmental incident.
"We ask that anyone that believes they are witnessing illegal fishing activity to report it to our emergency incident number 0800 807060. This gives us the best chance to catch offenders in the act."
Sergeant Grant Cockerill, of Durham Constabulary, said:
"Poaching is never acceptable and a crime that negatively affects our residents in the Dales. That's why working with our partners on operations such as this are so important, and we will continue to do so."
The EA will be enforcing the annual close season over the winter months to help protect salmon and sea trout from disturbance when spawning, allowing stocks to grow.
The byelaws prohibit fishing for salmon and sea trout this autumn, with fishing due to resume in early 2022.
