The Environment Agency received a call from a resident who lives in Ross-on-Wye who reported that they had seen someone net fishing on the River Wye near Hoarwithy on the evening of Tuesday, February 26th. 

Environment Agency officers went out first thing the following morning, but did not find any nets in place.

An Environment Agency Fisheries Officer said: “Illegal Gill nets on rivers have a massive impact on all fish stocks and  wildlife. They are irresponsible and indiscriminate, and they are also a threat to pets and anyone using the river.” 

Anyone witnessing illegal fishing incidents in progress can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline, 0800 80 70 60. Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Environment Agency officers are checking licences regularly throughout the year. A licence costs £30 and lasts for 12 months from the day you buy it.

Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring fish stocks through re-stocking, eradicating invasive species, and fish habitat improvements.

Fishing licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing, to encourage participation in the sport and to manage a voluntary bailiff scheme.

The photographs are from illegal nets found last year on the River Wye; they show a Hen salmon in a gill net and a Barbel and a Twaite Shad in gill net.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.