Both men appeared before Folkstone, Kent magistrates last week and pleaded guilty to charges of illegally importing live fish and were committed for sentencing at the Crown Court.Premier Fish Supplies boss Mark Dallas and Lee Coles, both from Essex, were arrested by fisheries inspectors from CEFAS and customs officers last April when they intercepted a haul of 263 carp weighing up to 45lb at the Channel Tunnel. The fish were later found to be carrying a rare and deadly strain of the UK carp killing Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) disease and were humanely destroyed.

The case is believed to be the biggest of its kind in this country and the men could face up to two years jail.

FISHINGmagic Says
SVC is one of the most highly contagious and deadly diseases that can infect carp, tench, catfish and pike. It is common in many parts of Europe but not in Britain, although there have been odd outbreaks that were eventually contained.

The greatest risk to British fish stocks is this illegal importing of fish that do not undergo the usual rigorous health checks by qualified fisheries inspectors. The diseased carp being smuggled in by Dallas and Coles were carrying an unusual strain of SVC that could have wiped out the whole of the stock in the fisheries that were due to receive them, with the risk that the disease would be spread further afield leading to a major outbreak.

With 40lb carp commanding up to £ 5000 each the smugglers can be well rewarded, but this can only happen if British fishery owners are willing to buy them.

FM is of the opinion that the fisheries that were going to receive these fish should be named, shamed and then boycotted by all anglers.

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