angling trust / environment agency volunteer bailiff …...presentation content ea background and...
TRANSCRIPT
Angling Trust / Environment
Agency Volunteer Bailiff
Scheme – Phase 1
Presentation content
EA Background and structure
Intelligence led enforcement – why we need your help & what we need from you
Fisheries Legislation, Theft Act, fish removal byelaw
Environment Agency structure
Six Regions in England - now gone!
Now 16 Areas and a national only
Comprises FRM, EP, Waste, WR, Nav, Fish..
Fisheries teams structured differently
Levels of activity
Rod Licence sales
Levels of activity cont.
Salmon & Seatrout net licence sales
Levels of activity cont.
Eel and elver licence sales
Levels of activity cont.
Crayfish consents
Levels of activity cont.
Fish movement consents
Levels of activity cont.
Rod licence checks and evasion
Intel Led Fisheries Enforcement
National Intelligence Team within NES
Need to be pro-active and identify problems
Whole picture, not reactive to small problems
Intel needs a joined up approach
Field FRB staff a good source of intel
Why we need your help
Reports of illegal fishing have increased
Why we need you help cont.
We have approx 100 fully warranted bailiffs
There are 65,000km of river and 30,000 stillwater fisheries in England & Wales.
Doubling our enforcement resource would still give each bailiff over 115 stillwaters and 250km of river
We need to take the intelligence led approach to enforcement
What we can’t do
EA has a good reputation with other law enforcement agencies and regulators
We are not able to ‘task’ informants or run CHIS
Surveillance requires authorisation under RIPA
Confidential sources need to be registered
What we want from you in Phase 1
Not much different from what you are doing now!
Observe and report with detail – no photos of suspected offenders
Incidents in progress reported on 24hr hotline
Information to co-ordinator for input to Memex
Shadowing of Fisheries enforcement officers
Fisheries legislation
Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act (amended)
Byelaws
Salmon Act
Fish Movement & Keeping SI (replaces ILFA)
Theft Act (schedule 1)
Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975
Original duty to maintain improve and develop fisheries
Provides for as system of licensing and regulation of salmon and freshwater fisheries
Much amended by Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
Byelaws
National and Regional byelaws covering rod and net fisheries
Max fine increased to £50,000 and MaCAA
Rod and Line removal byelaw introduced June 2010, several successful prosecutions
Salmon Act 1986
Mainly relevant to Scotland
Introduced offence of ‘handling in suspicious circumstances’ for salmon & seatrout
MaCAA extended offence to all species in EA remit
Fish movement and keeping non-
native species (NNS)
Defra is pushing for action on NNS
Priority list for sturgeon and wels has been sent to Regions for action
We need info on where NNS species are and if permit is held/being complied with
Theft Act 1968 schedule 1- Fisheries
Fish in rivers not owned but offence to fish in waters where there is a private right of fishery even if fish are returned
No longer arrestable by ‘citizens’
Fish in stillwaters are owned. Consider theft of property (section1) if valuable specimens
EA may act where there are other (fisheries) offences committed
Any Questions2222..
Adrian Saunders
Senior Advisor, Fisheries Incidents & Compliance
07768 004040