Letchworth, Hertfordshire angler Terry Day dressed in his bestcamou clothing, loaded his shotgun and took it to Letchworth AC’sHenlow lakes in Bedfordshire on 15th December last year..
Terry had an arrangement with the Whiteman’s Lake’s owners thatallowed him to patrol the lakes to control vermin.
Terry, 36, claimed he had fired his shotgun to scare the birdsaway but that they had returned only 15 minutes later.
He said, “”I just saw red. It was a temper thing really. They arecausing a lot of damage at fisheries and it seems nothing detersthem.””
Terry shot two birds dead and was about to shoot a third when anRSPB Inspector stopped him.
Luton magistrates fined Terry £ 250 with £ 55 costs, andmade him forfeit his shotgun, in what is believed to be the firstsuccessful prosecution for killing the protected species. The maximumfine is £ 5000.
“”He said he shot the birds because of his personal feeling thatthey were causing damage to fish stocks.”” Said Jason Wolfe, for theprosecution.
Cormorants are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act andEU legislation, and Terry admitted that he did not have a licence tokill, but considered them to be vermin.
A government study that last over four years concluded thatcormorants have no impact on fish stocks at national level and therewas reason for changing the law.
The inland cormorant population has increased dramatically overthe last 20 years or more. Each year licences to kill cormorants aregranted to between 100 and 200 people, and up to 600 birds fall totheir guns. The licences are granted only to those who can prove thatthe birds are responsible for serious damage to fish stocks and whereother methods have failed.
“”The illegal killing of cormorants is widespread, I suspect”” saidJulian Hughes, head of the RSPB policy unit, and added, “”we are notagainst the idea of licensed shooting but we cannot condone peopletaking potshots at these protected species.””
