The Environment Agency, GloucestershirePolice, Gloucester City Council and British Waterways have announced a new jointcampaign to pool resources and information to combat the anti-socialbehaviour and lawlessness that gives the traditional activity of elverfishing a bad name.
Irresponsible behaviour has been on the increase recently,Elvers have been fetching up to £ 300 per kilo on the open market in recent years, leading to a rise in irresposnsible behaviour.This lucrative activity is attracting people who display little regard fortheir fellow citizens, or the reputations of their responsible colleagues.
Responsible elver fishermen, who operate within the law, have nothing to fearas the campaign is not intended to restrict the number of elvers caught, orstop elver fishing, but to preserve this historic activity along the banksof the River Severn.
Each year, the Environment Agency’s enforcement teams patrol the RiverSevern to catch fishermen operating without a licence or involved in illegalactivities, such as the use of equipment that gives them an unfair advantageand harms elvers. The licence fee (currently £ 20 a year) is ploughed back bythe Agency into research and development to secure the future for the nextgeneration of elvers and elver fishermen. By fishing without a licence,illegal fishermen are depriving their colleagues of future catches and mayput the very existence of elver fishing in danger.
Environment Agency Fisheries Team Leader, Al Watson, says, “This a heritageactivity and well worth preserving. We hope that responsible fishermen whooperate legally will support us in trying to ensure they are not cheated outof their legitimate income by their less savoury colleagues. We want toensure it is a level playing field for everyone. This year, for the firsttime, we will be sharing resources and information with our colleagues inother agencies to ensure that illegal fishermen do not have an unfairadvantage and to stop the irresponsible behaviour that is putting lives atrisk.”
Gloucestershire Police welcome the new initiative, which will help to makethe most effective use of their resources to tackle a source of criminaldamage. Inspector Emma Davies, of Gloucestershire Police, said, “TheConstabulary welcomes the opportunity to work in partnership with all of theother agencies and we will be working closely with them to enforce thelegislation surrounding elver fishing. We are also committed to combatingall aspects of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour relating to thisactivity.”
British Waterways are concerned about the use of unlicensed boats on theriver. At the end of the elver season in May, illegal boats are often leftunattended in out of the way places where children can use them during thesummer months, thereby putting their lives at risk.
Gloucester City Council is concerned about damage to stiles and fences,often using chainsaws, close to a known elver fishing spot. The wood isbelieved to be used by the fishermen for fires to keep warm during long coldnights fishing. In one incident, a herd of rare breed cows was turned out onto the road. To make matter worse, the cost of replacing these fences each year falls on thecouncil tax payers of Gloucester. Derek Brown, City Council CountrysideManager, explains, “There has to be mutual respect. We respect thelong-standing tradition of elver fishing but there needs to be respect bythe fishermen towards the city council’s land and our use of it as a naturereserve. Actions which put our visitors and animals at potential risk isunacceptable.”
Illegal fishermen are much more likely to get caught under this newinitiative and it could prove very expensive indeed. Anyone caught by theAgency fishing illegally will end up with a criminal record and can lookforward to a fine of up to £ 2,500. British Waterways say the maximum finefor an unlicensed boat is £ 1000 and Gloucestershire Police and the CityCouncil will act against anyone found causing criminal damage.
