New leaflet launched to combat poaching in Northern Ireland

Following a meeting with The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Fin (fish poaching), the group is pleased to launch a new leaflet to provide information on fish poaching, what to look out for and who to contact if something appears to be suspicious to any member of the public.Seamus Cullinan, Director of Conservation and Protection at Loughs Agency said: “The face-to-face reconvening of the PAW Fin group for the first time in three years is a positive step forward, and I am delighted to assume the role of joint chair alongside my DAERA colleague, Art Niven.“Wildlife crime has been and continues to be a worrying trend in and around our catchment areas. Illegal activities can lead to pollution and have an adverse impact on fish stocks, so it has never been more important to ensure the public is aware of fishing regulations and the reporting mechanisms available.“All of the bodies involved are hopeful that the launch of the ‘Watch out for Wildlife Crime’ leaflet will reinforce the message that illegal activity will not be tolerated in any capacity.”Arthur Niven, Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer from DAERA added: “The Partnership Against Wildlife crime Fin Group provides an important platform from which to engage with statutory and non-statutory partners dedicated to the conservation and protection of our fisheries resources.”Emma Meredith, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Wildlife Officer said: “I was delighted to meet with The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime Fin group, which was the first time since 2020. As a partnership, we are very keen to reinvigorate the group.“As a police service, we take all wildlife crime extremely seriously and we are encouraging the public to be more aware of illegal fish poaching across Northern Ireland. The informative leaflet will help raise public awareness of what illegal fish poaching is and how we can help prevent it from happening in areas where we live and who it should be reported to. We are delighted to be involved in this partnership against wildlife crime group and we very much support our colleagues in Loughs Agency and DAERA on the work they do.”The leaflet can be found via this link: www.wildlifecrimeni.org.