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Ceredigion salmon poacher pays just £1 of £61,000 ordered by court

NRW Emlyn Rees and coloured sea troutNRW
Emlyn Rees, pictured with sea trout, led an eight-strong criminal gang that pleaded guilty to illegal fishing

The leader of a poaching gang ordered to pay more than £61,000 has paid back just £1 after saying he had no money.

Emlyn Rees, of Cenarth, Ceredigion, admitted illegal fishing and was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

Rees kept records over seven years of 373 catches, detailing numbers and weights of fish including 989 sea trout and 302 salmon.

He was one of eight men who admitted illegal fishing, crimes which were described as "staggering".

The others were:

  • Colin Gentle, of Penbryn, Ceredigion
  • Matthew Phillips of Adpar near Newcastle Emlyn, Ceredigion
  • Carl Rago of Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire
  • Nathan Pearson, of Kelbrook, Lancashire
  • Ashley Davies, Andrew Lewer and Dafydd Rees, all from Cardigan, Ceredigion

Between 2013 to 2020 the men's illegal fishing led to the loss of an estimated 686,534 salmon eggs and 2,285,164 sea trout eggs.

Rees was ordered to pay a total of £61,791.50, which will be confiscated if he comes into money or assets. He was also fined £1,600 and told to pay £1,000 costs.

The investigation began after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) found an illegally set gillnet in the River Teifi near Cenarth.

Rees, who has three previous convictions for illegal fishing, was then caught returning to the net early one morning.

NRW Emlyn Rees and coloured salmonNRW
Rees, here holding a salmon, kept records over seven years of 373 catches

He tried to get away by jumping in the river but was arrested by Dyfed Powys Police. His home was searched and police said a "vast" amount of evidence was found.

NRW operations manager Ann Weedy dubbed the gang's crimes "staggering".

She said: "The sheer scale of the number of fish caught has undoubtedly resulted in a significant and unsustainable loss of breeding potential.

"Since 2020, all salmon and large sea trout caught in Wales have to be returned alive to the river to help protect these vulnerable stocks."

NRW Emlyn Rees, Matthew Phillips and Dafydd ReesNRW
Natural Resources Wales' Ann Weedy dubbed the gang's crimes "staggering". Pictured are Emlyn Rees, Matthew Phillips and Dafydd Rees

Dyfed-Powys Police's Sgt Esther Davies said: "Poaching has been a real issue on the River Teifi for many years, and I hope this investigation and the sentence handed down today strongly demonstrates our commitment to investigating wildlife crime."

Gentle, Phillips, Rago and Dafydd Rees were each ordered to pay fines, victim surcharges and NRW costs totalling £8,370, £4,516, £2,916, and £4,808 respectively.

Davies, Pearson and Lewer accepted cautions.