I
Ian Cloke
Guest
At Cardigan Magistrates' Court this week (Tuesday 6 March) three local men were ordered to pay a total of ?900 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to illegal fishing offences committed on the River Teifi at Cardigan. The prosecutions were brought by Environment Agency Wales.
Emlyn James Rees of Williams Terrace, Cardigan and George Sommerville of Bay View, Parcllyn, Aberporth both pleaded guilty to two offences:
Placing an unauthorised fixed engine (a net) on the River Teifi upstream of Cardigan Town, an offence contrary to Section 6(1) of the Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (as amended by Section 33(1) of the Salmon Act 1986).
Taking a migratory trout otherwise than by means of an instrument which they were entitled to use for that purpose by virtue of a fishing licence, an offence contrary to Section 27(a) of the Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.
Both men were ordered to pay fines of ?150 on each offence. A third man, Dean Adam Binding of Ivy Cottage, Talgarreg also pleaded guilty to the second offence. He was fined ?150 All three men were ordered to pay ?50 each in costs.
The Court was told that during the night and morning of 4/5 September 2006 two Enforcement Officers from Environment Agency Wales were conducting a routine patrol of the lower reaches of the River Teifi at Cardigan. They saw Rees and Summerville walking through the swimming pool car park carrying paddles. The two men were known to one of the officers who had previously seen them operating a canoe in the River Teifi. The Officers later saw the two men near the entrance to Cardigan Cottage Hospital where they appeared to be making their way to the nearby River Teifi.
The officers took up a fresh vantage point near an area known as the Holt. From here they saw an open, green, kayak-type canoe approximately 150 metres up stream. The actions of the two persons on board led the officers to believe that they were checking a net. As the canoe travelled downstream towards Cardigan it passed within 15 metres of the officers' position, enabling them to identify the occupants as Rees and Sommerville. The officers subsequently found a net, which had been set right across the river.
The following morning (6 September) as one of the officers was driving over Cardigan New Bridge, he saw the green canoe travelling downstream from the direction of the Holt. He made his way to the hospital grounds, where he saw it being landed on the hospital side of the New Town Bridge. On this occasion Rees and Summerville were accompanied by a third person, subsequently identified as Binding. They had in their possession a green army-style bag.
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Emlyn James Rees of Williams Terrace, Cardigan and George Sommerville of Bay View, Parcllyn, Aberporth both pleaded guilty to two offences:
Placing an unauthorised fixed engine (a net) on the River Teifi upstream of Cardigan Town, an offence contrary to Section 6(1) of the Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (as amended by Section 33(1) of the Salmon Act 1986).
Taking a migratory trout otherwise than by means of an instrument which they were entitled to use for that purpose by virtue of a fishing licence, an offence contrary to Section 27(a) of the Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.
Both men were ordered to pay fines of ?150 on each offence. A third man, Dean Adam Binding of Ivy Cottage, Talgarreg also pleaded guilty to the second offence. He was fined ?150 All three men were ordered to pay ?50 each in costs.
The Court was told that during the night and morning of 4/5 September 2006 two Enforcement Officers from Environment Agency Wales were conducting a routine patrol of the lower reaches of the River Teifi at Cardigan. They saw Rees and Summerville walking through the swimming pool car park carrying paddles. The two men were known to one of the officers who had previously seen them operating a canoe in the River Teifi. The Officers later saw the two men near the entrance to Cardigan Cottage Hospital where they appeared to be making their way to the nearby River Teifi.
The officers took up a fresh vantage point near an area known as the Holt. From here they saw an open, green, kayak-type canoe approximately 150 metres up stream. The actions of the two persons on board led the officers to believe that they were checking a net. As the canoe travelled downstream towards Cardigan it passed within 15 metres of the officers' position, enabling them to identify the occupants as Rees and Sommerville. The officers subsequently found a net, which had been set right across the river.
The following morning (6 September) as one of the officers was driving over Cardigan New Bridge, he saw the green canoe travelling downstream from the direction of the Holt. He made his way to the hospital grounds, where he saw it being landed on the hospital side of the New Town Bridge. On this occasion Rees and Summerville were accompanied by a third person, subsequently identified as Binding. They had in their possession a green army-style bag.
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