No Section 30

<u>Witch Lakes Hero</u>

Angler David Chapman was delighted when he caught a Sturgeon, in fact he caught three of them weighing over 60 lb’s. And the £35 a day – day ticket water owner Mr. Tim Phillips of “Witch Lake” near Mildenhall was as happy as a pig in shit. Woohooo he must have been thinking to himself as The Anglers Mail went to press giving him more publicity about Davids super catch. And to top it all, the venue only opened last year. Wow! Isn’t Mr Phillips doing well for his little ole self then?

<u>The U Turn</u>.

A week later, David Chapman was banned from this water for using the wrong hooks. Eh? Yer effin what????? Only last week I was a hero, and now you’re shafting me with a rusty barge pole.

Witch Lakes owner Tim Phillips said this lad is no longer welcome at this fishery because he was useing treble hooks which are barbaric and are strictly probibited. We have some lovely fish in this water, and we want to keep them this way.

<u>It's A Kop Out</u>

Whoa!

Hold on a sec Mr. Phillips me owld lad, but aren’t Sturgeon classed as an alien species? You are not licenced to have them. And don’t you need a section 30 to stock them in your water? Which I hasten to add that you were not in possession of. The E.A. were alerted to this catch of Sturgeon from your water when it first appeared in the Anglers Mail on January 15th 2008. Then on January 22nd 2008 the next report appeared in the Anglers Mail where you went into your Vicky Pollard routine saying, aah but, yeah but, no but, I’ve banned the angler who caught the Sturgeon. Let’s face it cock. You banned him because he unintentionally blew the gaff on you by reporting his catch to the press didn’t he?

<u>The Solution</u>

Surely the question that needs to be asked by the E.A, is -;

Okay Mr. Phillips, where did you get the Sturgeon from in the first place? Or who was your supplier? Or will you also go into a Vicky Pollard routine, aahhh but, no but, yes but.

To me, this whole set up stinks. The E.A. have now got something which they can act on if they want to.

What are anybody elses thoughts on this matter?

Hi Baz, Very interesting ????????/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

I understand that in Canada a favourite bait for sturgeon is salmon eggs.Now if the sterlets get into river systems is there a chance of them decimating native stocks by wiping out almost complete year classes?Lets face it,salmon lay thier eggs infast streamy water,similar to the places chosen by barbel.Which would you prefer?Sterlets or barbel?

Tim Phillips said this lad is no longer welcome at this fishery because he was useing treble hooks which are barbaric

So i take it that his view on single hooks is ok then, and they are not barbaric.

Is the old section 30 thing still going, cos it never helped in the past.

Trebles are still accepted for pike fishing no?

Was yer man piking or sturgeon fishing? Academic if trebles are prohibited.

Presumably the catch was reported without the owners knowledge, did that contravene any fishery rules?

And if the EA are aware of the situation are they acting on it?

I thought stergeon were indigenous but extincted in British waters, one of the last ones caught in the UK was from the River Don, its exibited in Doncaster natural History museum

How about 'Rocky' Monk, in the club book at 26lb, but I understand it was caught last year at approx 30lb.

Doesn't a caught sturgeon have to be offered to the Queen?

Spot on Ian.

I don't know the correct wording, But there is something where Sturgeon do have to be given to the Queen or words to that affect. Maybe The Monk or somebody can elaborate on that one for us?

They can be baught for a private pond or aquarium, but not for releasing into the wild. Even then a special licence is required.

One thing for certain is that seeing this fishery has only been opened for twelve months, these Sturgeon did not get there by the way of fish eggs on the feet of some wading bird.

Perhaps Chapman should have been banned anyway....

....for returning unlicensed fish back to the water ?!?!?

Looking forward to his prosecution by the EA for doing so. Together with his fellow defendant in the dock, the egregious Mr. Philips. Sling the book at him. What's his next good idea, stock some topmouth gudgeon and Asian carp as prey fish for the sturgeon ?

Evan.

The Sturgeon should not have been in the water in the first place. The E.A says that when Sturgeon are discovered in fisheries, then it is the owner that may be liable to prosecution. Licences are issued in suitable cases. These licences contain conditions that the fish should be removed when caught.

As far as I know, there was no ban on publicity. This is a day ticket water and not a syndicate water.

Now lets have a guess what the owner will say when confronted by the E.A.

Yes but no but yes but . I didn't stock them they were already in the water when I aquired it.

Yeh yeh yeh

What if huge carp, with no S30 are found in stillwaters?

That was the point I was making Baz, once caught the fish should not have been returned to the water by either of 'em, as unlawful.

Stocking them in the first place is an additional and earlier offence. And for which he should be strung up. The disease risk and alien species invasion risk from these bright sparks who think the rules don't apply to them for some reason is apalling.

Hence my jibes about the topmouth gudgeon - which required a whole lake here at Shalford in Surrey to be completely sterilised with the most vicious chemicals - and the Asian Carp, which is, as we speak, inexorably advancing down the St. Lawrence towards the Canadian great lakes, exterminating by outeating everything in their path. Same goes for the idiots celebrating Catfish caught in the tidal river waters of the Trent. Look into whats happening to the Ebro before celebrating too much further.

Sorry Evan, I'm a bit slow on the uptake at times.

Paul.

All I would say is that this bloke needs a thorough investigation by the authorities. It is also reported that this venue holds Monster Carp, Catfish, and Pike.

One other thing that I do know is that Grass Carp also need a special licence just like the Sturgeon. The owner does have the proper licence for the Grass Carp.

Too right, Baz. If the EA can't act on this, what can they act on? They should either prosecute him or, if he denies the sturgeon are anything to do with him, have the lake netted out and dispose of them. Maybe the Queen would like them for Buck Pal lake, assuming she can get Section 30 consent.

Do all the waters with huge carp that are sprouting uphere there and everywherehave these S30's?

you know the waters were anglers have fished for years for the odd 20 but suddenly start to throw up loads of 30's and 40's when "others" take over?

Of course not. The fish are either bought from fish thieves or from unscrupulous fish dealers. The EA knows about it but hasn't the resource to do anything about it. It's been going on for 25 years, and nobody seems to give a stuff.

A S. 30 (health check) is required before any species can be stocked into a new water.

An ILFA (Importation of live fish act) licence is required by fisheries containing certain non-native species.

Technically it is an offence for an angler to return an ILFA listed fish to the water if the water doesn't have the neccesary paperwork.