Nige Williams in trouble

Did anyone hear 'Fishermans Blues' on Talk Sport this morning? Apparently, Angling Times will lead on a story this week alleging famous pike anger Nige Williams has been caught red handed by Irish Authorities trying to import up to 150 roach and carp into Eire for use as pike livebaits. Whatever your stance on the issue, if proven it could put an end to his media work, as they will wish to distance themselves from someone who has allegedly broken importation laws. The EA will be less than pleased too.What a silly chap.

It's been an 'open' secret since the story broke Peter, but it do'es raise questions

Livebaiting is banned in Ireland

What about the Carp disease Spring Viraemia

What happens to any 'residual' fish at the end of the holiday

Unfortunately, the anti's may have a field day with this one !!!

If high profile anglers have to do this sort of thing just to expand their "Name", then I am dismayed.

The lengths that some of the "names" in angling will go to makes me wonder why they go fishing in the first place.

Why not get on "Big Brother"?

Now there's a thought! I can think of one famous name on the midlands match circuit whom the Sunday tabloids had a field day with a couple of years ago. He'd be in his element sharing a bed with all those nubile young ladies!
Seriously, Keith Arthur suggested the alleged offence was discovered upon entry to Eire rather than Holyhead on the way out. If I am wrong about the location, sorry. Either way it as stupid as it is immoral and illegal.

What an irresponsible pillock. He deserves to be relegated back to the realms of obscurity.

it makes one wonder...

If he is willing to break such laws as this to cathc pike in Ireland.. how many of the big pike hes caught in England have been done so in lives, either legally or ilegally.. ?

Interesting why he did this..

The pressure of wanting another catch has driven him over the edge this time.


It is a shame, he is a good angler.

It was probably the importation of roach many years ago to Ireland by livebaiters that has ruined much of the coarse fishing there.

Now the roach is one of my favourite species, but it was never indigenous to Ireland. Rudd was the species there and today it's difficult to find a good rudd water over there now. It's just full of blinkin hybrids.

Taking carp there is criminal. Imagine the Shannon system being polluted with carp?

Be interesting to see how AT cover this, given tha he was their pike expert.

Hi Dave
Just for the record, he's Anglers Mail's columnist.

Best get that right, is that your front page sorted this week then Richard?

I would probably think it is and quite rightly so.

Nige Williams actions were irresponsible and selfish in the extreme, the fish he was transporting could have harboured any number of potentially catastrophic pathogens which in the worst case scenario would have hammered another nail in the coffin of an already seriously ill fishing/tourism industry.

My apologies, i knew id seen him in one of them recently, we'll see how they both cover it then.

Here's the story from CEFAS site on the incident.

Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)

CEFAS ISSUES WARNING TO PIKE ANGLERS FOLLOWING INTERCEPTION AT HOLYHEAD


ISSUED ON BEHALF OF CEFAS

Inspectors from the Fish Health Inspectorate, an arm of the UK government's Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), working with officers from HM Revenue and Customs intercepted two vehicles containing in excess of 200 small live carp and roach at Holyhead port on Friday 12th May. The vehicles were destined for Ireland where the fish were to be used as bait on a pike fishing trip.
Two men have been reported for attempting to move live fish to Ireland without the necessary fish health movement certification, and for failing to notify the authorities.

The alleged offence is in contravention of Section 5(1) of the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations 2005.

Cefas are warning other anglers visiting Ireland that it is an offence to take live fish from the UK to Ireland without the appropriate health certification. Ireland is free from the disease Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) and SVC-susceptible species such as roach and carp threaten the country's high health status. Anglers are warned that they face prosecution if they disregard these regulations.

Notes to editors

Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK. It became an executive agency of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in 1997.

The Fish Health Inspectorate's primary role is to undertake statutory and inspection duties resulting from the EU Fish Health Regime and other national legislation in the area of fish and shellfish health. The inspectorate also licenses and monitors certification arrangements for the import of fish and shellfish from other countries and runs an enforcement programme aimed at preventing the illegal import and export of live fish. For more information see http://www.cefas.co.uk/fhi/enforcement.htm - illegal

Weymouth Laboratory
Barrack Road
The Nothe
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 8UB

Oh dear someone?s in the manure!

In last weeks anglers mail Nige Williams was saying how good the trip was.Eight 20s and lots of doubles.He also said most of the fish came to deadbaits and lures.He should be banned from angling publications.Also if i owned a lake i would not let him fish on it.I think the angling press should always name and shame these sort of people.

Are we sure it was Nige Williams who did this?

I can't for the life of me imagine why an angler in his position would flout the law like this with impunity.

He must be bloody daft that's all I can say.

Already put his hands up Ron

He's made a full apology in tomorrow's paper. It isn't on the front Lee - we've got a free gift slapped where that space normally sits.
It's all a bit of a disaster and everybody is extremely disappointed that it has happened - including Nigel.
Instead of this being a death knell for piking, you could see it more of a wake up call - and that's how we're viewing it.
As Nige is high profile he'll rightfully take a lot of flak, but he's just one guy that got caught - what about all the others who bend the rules? Ok, so Nige was a bit extreme, but fishing in general needs to improve its performance. Pike fishing is in the public eye today, but it isn't just predator angling that needs to raise the bar.
Pikers are a strong breed, I'm sure they'll be fine but they should expect a bit more from each other in terms of playing by the rules.
If they stick together, they will be a strong force to reckon with.

Dear Richard,

What on earth has pike anglers being a "strong breed" or "sticking together" got to do with this incident? I don't see it as any sort of wake up call, but people willing to place into serious jeopardy other peoples watery environments!!

I liked the bit where one bloke got caught so you highlight all the others who bend the rules! Great defence in court no doubt.

Regards,

Lee.

Phil, keep up man, we ran this story a week ago.