Immigrants eating coarse fish

[Down-the-drain]

I heard what I thought to be a rumour about Polish and middle eastern immigrants going coarse fishing and taking what they catch home to eat.

Turns out it's true

I was fishing with my mate the other day on a stretch of the river great Ouse in bedford when I noticed a family of around 5 Polish sounding people on the opposite bank. There was ( I assume) the mother , father and 3 children.

They had 2 rods and I watched them catch a number of small fish , it looked like a few perch , dace and roach. They reeled them in , de-hooked them by literally tearing the hook from the fish , smacked them over the head with a stick and put them in a bucket.
After an hour or so they left with their catch.

Then today I was fishing a section of water called "the cut" in Bedford when I hooked what turned out to be my first barbel of the season. I'd say it was around 4-5lbs and as I landed it a head popped up behind me and said in a broad eastern European accent

"you want ?"

I didn't know what he meant at first so I said pardon and he replied

" can I take ?"

I gave him a look of disgust and told him sharply that these fish are for sport not for *insert swear word here* food.

He hissed at me through his teeth and walked off.

I am so annoyed about this that I thought I would vent here. No wonder I'm having trouble getting anything over 5lb this season if these people are taking home the specimen fish to bloody eat.
I cant believe the first family were taking fish so small either , surely they are full of tiny bones and are too small to even fillet ?

Are there not authorities or laws covering this kind of thing ?
How can they be enforced properly if there are , and is this a wide spread practice or just in my town ?

Something needs to be done about this as it's going to completely ruin my favorite stretches of water for possibly years to come.

[Banana Steve]

The sad thing is that the EA don't seem to care, A year ago i asked for help in getting the correct wording in Polish to tell them not to take any fish, year later and sevral emails and no reply. However, we have a polish memeber who did catch another polish person taking fish and the memeber rip into him about trying to take the fish. so maybe the message might be getting through. Fingers crossed

[rob@home]

If this happens again just call your local club official dont tackle them yourself some of them are armed just look in your club book theres bound to be a number in there to call otherwise call the police (although a club official would be the better option) mate. Your right its not on & its not funny especially when clubs pay good money to stock waters with fish.

Rob.

[Devon Born & Dorset Bred]

On your Environment Agency rod license there are two phone numbers!

If you phone either they will take details of where this is occurring, and information will be gathered for a regular visit, by them!

They have the power to prosecute and confiscate gear!

I cannot stand this happening but have Eastern European friends. They just need educating!

[blackwater]

It's happening over here in northern and southern ireland alot aswell, the fisheries board is beggining to take action against it, with signs in differnt eastern European languages. Personally I think it's a disgrace, with once great water systems such as the Bann and the Erne only shadows of their previous states. They are also not just eating the silver fish they target the pike, with lines attached to trees and they stretch out across the lakes and rivers with spring loaded hooks .

Thankfully the problems are being dealt with over here but it's long over time

BW

[Down-the-drain]

Thanks for your replies. It has nothing to do with nationality , just the practice of taking fish home. I was talking to my local tackle shop owner this morning about it and he said they have even been caught using wide nets across the river to catch fish !
I think I'll Email the EA myself , maybe if they recieve enough complaints it will kick them into gear and help them realise this is a real problem and not some kind of urban myth as I first thought it was.

[Bluesbro]

It Don`t help to clarify things when Tescos sell carp on there fish counter though does it? Carp is as natural for the polish to eat as beef is to us, it is a national dish over there. They must be getting mixed signals because we say that they are not to be eaten and must get put back yet we sell them in our shops!!!!!! I fish in the sea and we get the same problem with familys and familys of immigrants turning up on the beach and ignoring size limits to take home hundreds of small fish to eat. The problem is that no one seems to police the beaches/piers, add that to the fleets and fleets of trawlers and it looks like sea angling is doomed for my little boy

You freshwater lads pay for the privilage of fishing waterways so you should get protection from this. You should all put complaints in to the authorities otherwise in years to come no one will care about the waterways just like no one cares about the sea

Joe ( Jovan Djumic )

[Down-the-drain]

Potatoes are also sold at Tesco but it doesnt mean anyone can just dig up a farmers field and take them. Same with rabbit , they sell rabbit meat at tesco but it doesnt give anyone the right to poach them from public areas themselves.

I can understand that coming from another culture where this kind of thing is the norm it would be difficult to know the laws regarding taking fish from the water , but if they were fishing legally at all with a valid rod license the accompanying pamphlets make it clear.

Seems to me the majority don't even have rod a rod license and would probably just play dumb to any authority which happens across them. I fear there is probably nothing we can do about it.

[Bluesbro]

The bit about catching small fish and keeping them on the beach applies to some english berks as well!!!!

Just thought id add that
Joe

[Bluesbro]

if they were fishing legally at all with a valid rod license the accompanying pamphlets make it clear.

Seems to me the majority don't even have rod a rod license and would probably just play dumb to any authority which happens across them. I fear there is probably nothing we can do about it.[/quote]

I agree but what happens to all the money you guys pay ( & rod licence ) to fish at your spots? Seems pointless charging ppl and when someone comes along and breaks the rules ignoring it! I blame the authorities for not taking control as they are the ones geting rich off you guys, yet seem to wanna do f all about sorting the problems. Why these polish not paying for things? Because they dont have to as like you said they can play dumb and be sent on there way to fish another day.