Man fined for poaching trout

Last updated 19:41, Thursday, 27 March 2008

A WEST Cumbrian man has admitted poaching in a local river.

Paul Gill, of Kirkland, was fined £600 and ordered to pay £800 costs after pleading guilty to poaching a 3lb sea trout from the Ehen.

He appeared before magistrates in Workington and admitted two charges – one of taking the fish and one of using an illegal snare.

Gill was caught on July 30 last year by Environment Agency Fisheries Officers on the River Ehen at Rothersyke Scar.

Gill was seen in the river in full wetsuit and when a car was searched, a recently-killed sea trout was discovered in the boot with injuries consistent with it been caught by a snare.

Fisheries officers were able to stop and arrest Gill at the scene.

Mike Farrell, one of the arresting Environment Agency Fisheries Officers, said: “Illegal exploitation of migratory fish stocks, such as salmon and sea trout, will not be tolerated by the Environment Agency.

“The loss of this young hen sea trout means that the River Ehen has lost possibly 15,000 to 20,000 eggs that would have been deposited in future years to help boost declining stocks.

“This case shows that poaching does not pay. We are doing everything within our powers and working with the police to stop this illegal activity.”