‘Illegal’ salmon fisher caught on social media 

An angler has pleaded guilty to illegally catching and selling salmon from the Afon Teifi. Mark Dellar from Cilgerran appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court, charged with handling a fish in suspicious circumstances. He was alleged to have breached Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986 by failing to identify or release the fish. The law prohibits the killing, retaining or selling of salmon in Welsh rivers due to their declining numbers.

Dellar’s crime was spotted following a Facebook post from the Pentre Arms in Lllangrannog which advertised locally caught “sewin”– the Welsh term for sea trout – on the menu last year. However, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) suspected the 16lb fish was actually a salmon and officers visited the restaurant to investigate. Proof of purchase and a commercial carcass tag were used to trace the fish back to Dellar.

The Afon Teifi is one of six Welsh rivers protected under the Habitats Directive due to its internally important salmon population. Since 2020, strict bylaws in Wales have required all salmon caught be released unharmed. Dellar pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to an absolute discharge and must pay £85 in costs – £50 less than he sold the fish for.

Jeremy Goddard of the NRW said: “With salmon numbers in serious decline, all netsmen and anglers are expected to release every salmon they catch. It is a legal requirement and a crucial step to protect the species. Every spawning fish matters.”