A man from Wales who smuggled a salmon up his sleeve has been fined.

Stephen Samuel, of Cwmavon, Port Talbot, was seen killing and taking a salmon from a fishery on the River Teifi.

He was ordered to pay a total of £2,580 at Llanelli Magistrates Court.

The member of the Llandysul Angling Association (LAA) who witnessed the incident on 30 July 2023 reported it to Dyfed-Powys Police.

The force then contacted Natural Resources Wales whose enforcement officer apprehended Samuel, with the assistance of LAA members.

Samuel was confronted by the LAA member who saw the head of a salmon poking out of his jacket.

He was reported for four offences in total.

Three were in contravention of the Wales rod and line (Salmon and Sewin Sea Trout) byelaws 2017.

The fourth offence was from The Salmon Act 1968 for handling salmon under suspicious circumstances.

Samuel admitted under caution that it was illegal to keep any salmon caught in Welsh rivers.

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In mitigation, Samuel said he thought the salmon was a sea trout.

But the salmon in his jacket measured 79cm, and all sea trout over 60cm in length must be returned to the river.

As well as the fines, the magistrates authorised the confiscation of the fishing tackle used in the offence.

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Natural Resources Wales’s enforcement officer Mark Thomas said he hoped the penalty would “serve as a deterrent”.

“NRW officers will not hesitate to take enforcement action against the small minority of anglers who commit these types of offences,” he added.

“I would like to thank Dyfed Powys Police for their continued assistance with these cases and also the members and committee from Llandysul Angling Association for their continued help in protecting the River Teifi.”

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