David Payne, the Fisheries Manager for Peche en Champagne, found that at least 50 big carp had been stolen from the well known Maurepaire fishery, and that they had allegedly been stocked into English run commercial fisheries in the area.
So he took the unusual step of inserting hundreds of Peche en Champagne carp with microchips, the whole operation witnessed at the famous Jonchery fishery by interested individuals from the UK and France.
As well as David Payne himself, other witnesses included:
Patrick Bachelier Fish Farmer. (Pisciculture Bachelier)
Four Peche en Champagne Fisheries Bailiffs.( Franc, Michel, Paveo and Loic.)
Francoise Emilly Fenouil, Marketing Manager for Virbac, France.
Koi carp specialist, Veterinary Surgeon, Dr. Coquelet, and wife.
Chris Ball, representative for Carp Talk magazine U.K.
Virginie Willems, owner of Avenir Peche, the major fishing tackle shop in the local city of Troyes.
Stephen Maidment, Investigations Officer C.E.F.A.S. U.K.
Alistair Scott, Senior fish health Inspector C.E.F.A.S. U.K.
Michel Galan Journalist for the A.F.P. accompanied by photographer.
Reporter from the local Newspaper, L Est Eclair.
Woodbine and chip, Security Officer! (Virginies’ Yorkshire Terrier was chipped too!)
There followed a discussion on illegal fish movements within the Champagne region and from there to the UK.
