STEALING CARP

[spencer]

It is with some concern that ECHO is receiving an increasing amount of information regarding anglers taking cash from irresponsible fishery owners to steal 20lb+ carp to order.

This problem is age old, historically problematic in France where English fishery owners stole or "bought" fish from public waters and anglers to seed their own enterprises.
Issues surrounding the French public waters became so intolerable to French anglers that they lobbied the French government through Camou, to establish regulation against their own rights as residents to protect their country's carp stocks from becoming commodities available on the black market to dubious and greedy individuals.

And so the problem ends up back in the UK!

In my local area, I know of a water that has gone from a small stock of very well documented carp, to the contents of the local canal, numbers of carp from local and accesible waters and more worringly some VERY well documented carp.
Nothing is yet provable apart from the fact that the fish have moved.
How, why, who, where, what.........all presumption, opinion and hearsay.

ECHO is currently dealing with a number of similar problems all over the country.

And we could sure do with your help!!

In most cases, there is an angler who likes to brag, there is certainly one or two who will set to benefit financially from illegal fish movements but they can not possibly catch the fish they need for their fishery. They certainly have no intention of buying stock yet seek to reap the rewards equal to a responsible fishery owner who has fish health & welfare in mind in his business.

Any information provided to ECHO is treated with the strictest confidence but may provide a vital "link" in a chain of information that may lead to this greedy and risky behaviour being removed from our sport.

[e-mail]
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[garypoacher]

its been going on since day dot and its gone crazy now due to our Eastern European friends but there is no law to deal with them so we have no hope the police are not interested and the license people are not interested and ECHO DO SWEET FA ABOUT IT APART FROM TALK TALK TALK

[flighty]

I recently phoned the police re some "anglers" taking fish from Brooklands & was basically told there was little or no chance of them getting along for several days due to their work load. IMHO nobody in authority really gives a hoot so fish stealing will carry on regardless & the person taking the fish be it for human consumption or for sale/transfer to other water/owners knows full well that nothing will be done to stop them so they just carry on regardless. A sorry state of affairs I know & in the current climate it's unfortunately going to continue.

[blast]

:)Flighty if you see fish being taken from Brooklands again just ring me ASAP 07906312540, 24 7

[flighty]

see pm

[garypoacher]

my nephew watched some polish fellas bang a carp on the head down Dartford told a bailif and he was told theres nothing i can do about it

[blast]

Gal, give your nephew my mobile No 07906312540 if he sees anything get him to ring me 24 7 , we can stop this but we need witnesses

[scott]

how can the police not have an interest?

If someone broke into a football club or cricket club and nicked all the equipment or whatever from the clubhouse then they 'would' be interested, Surely if scum are nicking our fish from our club waters then it constitutes the same thing? I bet if it were salmon they'd be interested!!


what in gods name are we paying our council taxes for? Maybe the police should spend just a little less time on motorists and spend some time arresting real people committing real crimes.

Do they not realize what pleasure those lakes and fish bring for a lot of people, both young and old, who if wern't fishing 'could' be off making a nuisance of themselves elsewhere potentially wasting more of the polices time?

[ddapscarper]

ROBIN ill take your number if thats ok cause seen it happening a few times down brooklands ?

[blast]

Once is too often ddapscarper

[griffo]

Jan 1, 2009 19:14:52 GMT scott said:

how can the police not have an interest?

If someone broke into a football club or cricket club and nicked all the equipment or whatever from the clubhouse then they 'would' be interested, Surely if scum are nicking our fish from our club waters then it constitutes the same thing? I bet if it were salmon they'd be interested!!


what in gods name are we paying our council taxes for? Maybe the police should spend just a little less time on motorists and spend some time arresting real people committing real crimes.

Do they not realize what pleasure those lakes and fish bring for a lot of people, both young and old, who if wern't fishing 'could' be off making a nuisance of themselves elsewhere potentially wasting more of the polices time?

Well said!!!

[tallone]

well said scott, when i was in the police station the other week for other reasons lol, there was a massive poster saying stop poaching and surely there must be some law agaist people doing this,, , surly the EA can do something and i am sure they wont have rod lisences,, if it was a english fishemen we would be strung up and fined and probley be facing court why are we a minority is this country,, maybe things may have to be delt with my the anglers

[garypoacher]

on a slightly different note my nephew had some of his gear nicked down Dartford on New Years eve,rucksack,buzzers,tackle box a few quids worth

[jeffe]

While he was asleep or was he mugged?

[scott]

Jan 2, 2009 9:23:14 GMT @tallone said:

well said scott, when i was in the police station the other week for other reasons lol, there was a massive poster saying stop poaching and surely there must be some law agaist people doing this,, , surly the EA can do something and i am sure they wont have rod lisences,, if it was a english fishemen we would be strung up and fined and probley be facing court why are we a minority is this country,, maybe things may have to be delt with my the anglers

There is a law, Lee its called theft! The police just can't be arsed to do anything about it, they'd be interested if the said theives got smashed to bits on the bank when trying to steal the fish but wouldn't take responsibility for stopping it in the first place.

[scott]

Jan 2, 2009 9:36:28 GMT garypoacher said:

on a slightly different note my nephew had some of his gear nicked down Dartford on New Years eve,rucksack,buzzers,tackle box a few quids worth

what a bunch of Coorrntts! I hope he's ok Gal. It's probably worth a look or a word in any second hand shops to see if it appears.

fcuking wankers!

wouldn't you just love to catch them trying it!

[scott]

Maybe the club should contact the Police with there concerns over what is classed as the clubs property (the fish)?

Perhaps the Police would listen more if the club spoke out rather than the regular angler at the lake?

just an idea.

[flighty]

Hi folks, this was copied from a site on the wibbley wobbley web thingy. I thought it just showed how little is really being done to protect our fish stocks. If my source is correct it was issued in 2007. To view the posters refered to see the link shown or click on www.factuk.co.uk/asp_pages/news.asp?type=5 for more on whats being done by numerous groups but more interestingly how little is being done by the police or the EA.

FACT launches two posters to save Nation's fisheries
START
Fish theft and spread of disease have been the big issues for Britain's anglers over the last two years. The Fish Welfare Group, a working committee of Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust (FACT), today launches two posters carrying key messages for the health of our fisheries;
"Don't steal, cook or kill fish" and "Don't kill a fishery".

Anti-Theft Poster (http://www.factuk.co.uk/forms/DONTSTEALCOOKKILLFISHPOSTER1.pdf)



The "Don't steal, cook or kill fish" message is illustrated in a series of pictograms which have been tested on non-anglers and anglers alike and avoid the need for complex signs in many languages. Pictograms are readily understood regardless of mother tongue. Originally developed by CEMEX Angling, the Company has kindly allowed FACT to develop the theme, find sponsorship for its production and to use the design to benefit all our fisheries.

The Don't steal poster addresses the problem of the removal of coarse fish from rivers, canals and lakes, which has been headline news for some time.

"If you want to catch a fish to eat - then try stillwater trout fishing" - says David Moore, Chairman of the Association of Stillwater Game Fishery Managers (ASGFM).

Don't kill a Fishery Poster (http://www.factuk.co.uk/forms/DontKillaFishery2.pdf)

The "Don't kill a fishery" poster is aimed at stopping the disposal of unwanted pet fish and non-native aquatic plants in natural waters. It highlights the environmental dangers of illegal introductions of pet and non-native fish and plants and warns garden pond and aquarium keepers of the penalties which can apply. Pet and non-native fish can spread diseases, which have the potential to wipe out fisheries. Non-native plants can be highly invasive and do not provide a suitable habitat for insects, which are the base of the food chain for fish.

Sean O'Driscoll, Chairman of the Angling Trades Association, sponsors of the first 5000 print run, commented, "The angling trade has prospered enormously over recent years because of the advent of fisheries and it is imperative that they are offered some form of protection. I hope that these posters will educate those that are threatening our fish, fisheries and future."

Jim Glasspool, Chairman of FACT added, "We hope that these simple, new, signs will be used by clubs and fisheries as part of the ongoing education of recent arrivals to this country about our angling tradition of returning coarse fish and to highlight to club and fishery members the dangers to rivers and lakes of disposing of fish and plants in them, that they no
longer want."

The posters will be distributed to the tackle trade for display in shops around the country and are available to download from this site for you to print out and laminate.

END

What I find really stupid is that a series of poxy posters are expected to deter poachers who have probably newver seen the inside of a tackle shop where they are being displayed. Also if they are serious about stealing fish they will not be put off by little pictures stuck on fence posts etc. There is big money is stealing fish & yet none of the posters give emengency contact numbers for theft incidents only restocking & what poacher is going to return stock.

So thats me off of my high horse. I honestly have no idea how to stop this (legally) because the powers that be can't give a hoot. How about a dozen anglers getting together for a "social gathering/pleasant stroll" around Brooklands every evening. Somehow this poaching & now mugging has got to stop.

[countduckiller]

cant they fence brooklands off, and have the gates shut at a certian time like at darenth.. and it would ensure your car is safe.??

[jayfisher]

half the bad things that are said about dartford are false statements things do go on,on there but not as bad as people make out a lot of the things floating around about dartford are to keep people away from there ive heard alot of rumours over the years , i myself have fished it for years and not once have i had a problem on there,as for fencing it off it a no go as the council probably wont allow it . we do have in stock a wire fence to go across homebase carpark but needs to be fitted by specialists

[countduckiller]

yeah ive never had a problem in all the times ive fished it (touch wood) but surely the council cant stop ddaps if its on private property? cant they do a pertition or somthing because before we know it they will have the originals out =/

[jayfisher]

the land is owend by the council we lease it from them so what they say goes im afraid mate

[countduckiller]

ooh ritee ;/