A man from Wales, Stephen Samuel of Cwmavon, Port Talbot, has been fined for smuggling a salmon up his sleeve.
Samuel was seen killing and taking a salmon from the River Teifi fishery on 30 July 2023. Llanelli Magistrates Court ordered him to pay a total of £2,580.
Samuel, 64, was spotted by an angling club member catching and taking the salmon from their fishery on the River Teifi in west Wales after using illegal tackle.
Another angler confronted Samuel, who was trying to slip away while hiding his catch – only for the fish’s head to be seen protruding from the arm of a coat slung over his shoulder.
Natural Resources Wales enforcement officers, with the assistance of LAA members, apprehended Samuel.
Samuel was charged with four offences, including three violations of the Wales rod and line (Salmon and Sewin Sea Trout) byelaws 2017 and one offence under The Salmon Act 1968 for handling salmon under suspicious circumstances. He admitted under caution that keeping any salmon caught in Welsh rivers was illegal.
In mitigation, Samuel claimed he thought the salmon was a sea trout. However, the salmon measured 79cm, and regulations require all sea trout over 60cm to be returned to the river. Alongside the fines, magistrates confiscated the fishing tackle used in the offence.
Natural Resources Wales enforcement officer Mark Thomas expressed hope that the penalty would serve as a deterrent, stating, “NRW officers will not hesitate to take enforcement action against the small minority of anglers who commit these types of offences.” He also thanked Dyfed Powys Police and the LAA for their assistance in protecting the River Teifi.
