Pair caught illegally netting sea trout at Rye
Two men have been caught illegally netting sea trout at Rye Harbour.
The pair were apprehended by Environment Agency officers last week after netting the fish at the harbour mouth.
Environment Agency Officers responded to an eyewitness report about the men, who had fixed a net approximately 250m to the west of the river mouth at the harbour. They were seen pushing a hand trolley which contained plastic bins and a fishing net.
On top of the net there was an assortment of fish.
Lucy Harding, from the Environmnet Agency, said: "When the fishermen were stopped and their trolley inspected, it was discovered that there were three sea trout amongst some bass and mullet.
"It was quickly established that the two individuals had caught the fish in a net fixed to the groynes just to the west of the harbour arm.
"As there are no nearby sea trout or salmon net fisheries it was evident that the fish had been illegally caught and retained.
"Moreover, the net they used had been set within the boundaries of a protection zone around the mouth of the Rother.
"The Environment Agency has maintained a high level enforcement presence along the Sussex and Kent coast to curb illegal fishing activity which may threaten endangered stocks of sea trout or salmon.
"Regular patrols on board the enforcement vessel Sea Search, based at Brighton Marina, have played a crucial role in deterring illegal netting activity out to the six mile coastal limit of our jurisdiction."
Myles Robinson from the Environment Agency said: "Inshore coastal patrols on 'Sea Search', combined with land based coastal patrols, play a significant part in our enforcement programme, along with regular fishmonger visits and leafleting.
"By maintaining a high profile on land and water we benefit from reduced levels of illegal netting and sale of sea trout and salmon.
This has a directly positive effect on the environment as it guarantees a higher number of fish will be able to spawn in our rivers, thereby maintaining future stocks."
An investigation is now underway and the two men may face prosecution.
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Weather for St Leonards-on-Sea
Sunday 05 February 2012
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