A major fish kill at the Rodbourne Lagoon, Cheney Manor, Swindon, last May led to an investigation by Environment Agency fisheries officers who discovered fish had been introduced without a valid consent from the Agency.
On Thursday 25 October Max Bond of Station Farm, Bentley, Ipswich, Suffolk and Tim Watts, of The Glebe Barn, Framlingham Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, both trading as Framlingham Fisheries, were found guilty in their absence and each fined a total of £ 1,680, with £ 200 costs each for two offences under Section 30 of the Salmon and Fresh Water Fisheries Act, 1975.
For the Agency, Janet Fedrick, prosecuting, told Swindon Magistrates Court that Mr. Bond and Mr. Watts had introduced fish without a valid consent from the Agency. While it was not possible to link the fish deaths with the illegal stocking, such activity had the potential to introduce diseases to whole river systems.
Mrs. Fedrick told the court that the Raychem angling club had contracted Framlingham Fisheries to stock their water but that the pair had stocked with fish which had not received a valid health check and they were not covered by a valid consent. They had a valid consent to introduce rudd and roach between 1 – 31 March 2000. However, on March 9 a consignment of fish was introduced, including crucian carp and bream, which were not covered by a consent or health check.
Environment Agency
