Anglers ‘traumatised’ by threats of poaching gangs

Anglers are being threatened by illegal poachers on Welsh rivers, according to fishing associations. One group said its members were coming across poaching gangs “all the time”, leading to confrontations and threats of violence.

Mark Ryan, chairman of the Ogmore Angling Association, said poaching had worsened “in the past five to 10 years”. He added that one of his colleagues had been threatened by a gang of men and was chased to his car. Mr Ryan says some of the association’s 300 members have been traumatised by threats and “to have that confrontation and violence is terrible”.

Robin Parry, chairman of the Seiont, Gwyrfai and Llyfni Fishing Society, said the society reported every incident of suspected poaching to Natural Resources Wales, but “nothing seemed to happen”, and the last time he had personally seen an NRW official checking fishing licences was “six or seven years ago.” 

NRW’s principal fisheries adviser Ben Wilson said they took illegal fishing “absolutely seriously” but did not have the luxury of “a bailiff on every river, all times of the day”. NRW figures show 250 reports of illegal fishing in 2023, but only eight to 10 of its officers are dedicated to fisheries.