British rivers stripped of fish by East European poachers

FEARS that Eastern European poachers are decimating Britain’s freshwater fish stocks have forced conservationists to start a nationwide poster campaign – in five languages.

Fishing in rivers, canals and some lakes is illegal during the close season to allow the fish to breed. But experts say migrants are eating and selling catches, including those pregnant, instead of returning them to the water.

The Angling Trust is so concerned about the diminishing numbers of salmon, trout, barbel, pike, bream, carp and eel, it has printed details of the ban in Polish, Romanian, Lithuanian, Slovakian and English.

Kent councillor Tony Harwood yesterday said serious damage was being done to eel and trout stocks near his home in Maidstone to satisfy the migrants’ love of smoked fish.

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