I
Ian Cloke
Guest
A TILEHURST man landed himself in hot water when he was spotted ditching his unwanted goldfish in the River Thames - because they weren't gold enough.
And the scales of justice tipped against him when a passer-by who saw him pouring the fish from a bucket into the river at Scours Lane alerted The Environment Agency.
Appearing before Reading magistrates, 46-year-old Derek May, of Westwood Glen, admitted two offences of illegally releasing animals into the wild.
The court heard May decided to get rid of between 15 and 20 fish from his garden pond because he was disappointed when they stubbornly remain brown instead of turning gold.
He pleaded guilty to an offence of introducing fish into a watercourse without permission and another of releasing a not normally resident animal into the wild.
May was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay ?60 costs.
Environment Agency crime officer Dennis Welling said: "Although some people think this is a harmless act, introducing non-native fish into the wild can have serious implications for our native fish populations.
"They carry disease,out-compete native species and breed so prolifically that they change the natural balance of the eco-system.
"Although the humble goldfish has been part of our society for 400 years,it is still a non-native species that should be enjoyed in garden ponds and fish tanks rather than damaging native fish stocks in our lakes,streams and rivers."
And he warned: "Where the evidence is available we will support our colleagues in prosecuting those who fail to protect our environment for future generations."
Thames Valley police wildlife crime unit officer PC Russell Hounslow said: "Although this prosecution may seem trivial to some, this incident could have had traumatic implications for the environment."
And the scales of justice tipped against him when a passer-by who saw him pouring the fish from a bucket into the river at Scours Lane alerted The Environment Agency.
Appearing before Reading magistrates, 46-year-old Derek May, of Westwood Glen, admitted two offences of illegally releasing animals into the wild.
The court heard May decided to get rid of between 15 and 20 fish from his garden pond because he was disappointed when they stubbornly remain brown instead of turning gold.
He pleaded guilty to an offence of introducing fish into a watercourse without permission and another of releasing a not normally resident animal into the wild.
May was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay ?60 costs.
Environment Agency crime officer Dennis Welling said: "Although some people think this is a harmless act, introducing non-native fish into the wild can have serious implications for our native fish populations.
"They carry disease,out-compete native species and breed so prolifically that they change the natural balance of the eco-system.
"Although the humble goldfish has been part of our society for 400 years,it is still a non-native species that should be enjoyed in garden ponds and fish tanks rather than damaging native fish stocks in our lakes,streams and rivers."
And he warned: "Where the evidence is available we will support our colleagues in prosecuting those who fail to protect our environment for future generations."
Thames Valley police wildlife crime unit officer PC Russell Hounslow said: "Although this prosecution may seem trivial to some, this incident could have had traumatic implications for the environment."