A Cornish fishmonger and local angler were today ordered to pay a total of £500 in costs for offering an illegally caught salmon for sale
Mark Ollivierre was fishing on the Camel Estuary in November 2008 when he made a surprise catch – a large salmon. At the time of the offence he did not have a valid rod licence. He caught the fish from a boat off Camel Quarry between Padstow and Wadebridge.
Once ashore Ollivierre met Shaun Brewer, of The Old Forge Fish Shop, Wadebridge, who offered to purchase the salmon. The two men agreed a price of £70.00. A few hours later the salmon had been turned into prime fillets and was on sale at The Old Forge Fish Shop. Fresh wild salmon currently retails for around £10 a pound.
Acting on information received, Environment Agency officers later questioned Ollivierre who admitted catching the salmon and selling to Shaun Brewer. He said he’d caught it on a rod and line. The fishmonger had seen Ollivierre sat outside a pub having a drink and asked him if he had been fishing. It was at that point the angler said he’d just returned from a successful trip and showed him the salmon.
‘The Camel is one of the finest salmon rivers in the region, but like many UK rivers it has seen a decline in fish numbers in recent years. The loss of even one adult salmon can affect the local fish population,’ said Chris Hitchings for the Environment Agency.
‘The illegal capture and sale of fish will not be tolerated and we will not hesitate to prosecute offenders where we have evidence. It is the responsibility of the fishmonger to be aware of the regulations relating to the sale of wild salmon and sea trout,’ said Chris Hitchings.
Mark Ollivierre, of Blackwell Place, Wadebridge, was ordered to pay £250 costs by Bodmin magistrates after pleading guilty to two offences under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 including, on or about November 8, 2008, fishing for salmon by means of an illegal instrument and offering a salmon for sale.
Shaun Brewer, of The Old Forge Fish Shop, Polmorla Road, Wadebridge, was ordered to pay £250 costs after pleading guilty to offering an illegally caught salmon for sale. Both men also received two year conditional discharges.
New laws introduced in January 2009 make it an offence to sell rod-caught salmon and sea trout in England and Wales. Restaurants and fishmongers caught flouting the rules face a fine of up to £2,500. It is still legal to sell net caught salmon and sea trout but they must be marked with special Environment Agency tags to help catering outlets ensure they only buy fish from legitimate sources.
Anyone offered fish in suspicious circumstances or suspect fish are being sold illegally should call the Environment Agency’s free 24-hour incident hotline 0800 80 70 60.
