Experienced fisherman admits illegally catching and selling protected salmon

An experienced coracle fisherman has pleaded guilty to illegally catching and selling a protected salmon from the Afon Teifi on the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire border.

Mark Dellar, aged 51, of Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, who has fished professionally for over 20 years appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday, 29 April.

Dellar pleaded guilty to breaching Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986 by failing to correctly identify and release the fish. The law prohibits the killing, retaining, or selling of salmon in Welsh rivers due to their declining numbers.

He was given an unconditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 court costs. The level of punishment by the courts is based on the circumstances of the offender, including financial circumstances, and previous good character and stature within the community balanced against the level of intent and harm.

Caught

Dellar was caught out after a Facebook post from the Pentre Arms in Llangrannog advertised a 16lb locally caught sewin on the menu on 6 July 2024. The image, however, raised alarm bells with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) officers, who suspected the fish was actually a salmon.

NRW officers visited the hotel to investigate. The hotel’s owner and chef fully cooperated providing the fish cutlets, proof of purchase for the fish which cost £135, and a commercial carcass tag, which traced the fish back to Dellar. They had believed the fish was a sea trout (also known as sewin).

Further analysis confirmed the catch was in fact a 2.2+ age salmon: a fish that had spent two years in the river as a juvenile, then another two at sea before returning to the river to spawn.

In a voluntary police interview, Dellar claimed he believed the fish was a sea trout when he caught it the day before, on 5 July, 2024.