Crime

Cilgerran coracle fisherman fined after catching protected salmon

Published

9 months ago

May 6, 2025

Case reignites debate over tradition, conservation and the future of Welsh river fishing

A TRADITIONAL fisherman from Cilgerran has admitted to illegally catching and selling a protected Atlantic salmon from the River Teifi — one of Wales’ most ecologically sensitive waterways.

Mark Dellar, 51, of High Street, appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to handling fish in suspicious circumstances, contrary to Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986. The offence stemmed from his failure to correctly identify and release the salmon, a protected species whose numbers have plummeted in recent years.

The incident came to light after a July 2024 Facebook post from the Pentre Arms pub in Llangrannog advertised a 16lb “locally caught sewin” — the Welsh name for sea trout — as a featured dish on its menu. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) enforcement officers, concerned that the fish was in fact a salmon, began investigating.

The Pentre Arms’ owner and chef fully cooperated, providing the fish cutlets, a receipt showing they had paid £135 for the fish, and a commercial carcass tag which traced the catch back to Dellar. The fish had been legally tagged — suggesting Dellar believed it to be a permitted catch — but subsequent analysis by NRW confirmed it was a salmon, not a sea trout.

Caught between law and tradition

Dellar, who has fished the Teifi for more than 20 years using a coracle — a centuries-old boat unique to west Wales — said in a voluntary police interview that he had believed the fish was a sewin when he landed it on July 5.

Magistrates imposed an absolute discharge but ordered Dellar to pay £85 in costs. While the sentence was lenient, the case has reignited a broader debate around the clash between traditional fishing practices and modern environmental protections.

Coracle fishing has been practised in Wales for generations, with fishermen using lightweight, round-bottomed boats woven from willow and covered with tar or canvas. The Teifi, along with the Tywi and Taf rivers, has long been home to this unique heritage — but fishers say the tradition is on the brink of extinction.

In 1975, there were over 50 licensed coracle netsmen on the Teifi. Today, just a handful remain. The season has been drastically reduced, now running only from May to July, and strict byelaws introduced in 2020 require all salmon — whether caught by rod or net — to be released immediately and unharmed. The sale or retention of salmon is banned altogether, a measure aimed at saving the species from collapse.

Conservation in conflict

Jeremy Goddard, who leads NRW’s enforcement team in mid Wales, said the case highlighted the importance of respecting conservation rules, regardless of fishing experience.

“The killing and sale of a prime adult salmon shows clear disregard for the law and for the health of our rivers,” he said. “Mr Dellar, with his years of experience, would know how to tell a salmon from a sea trout. With salmon numbers in serious decline, all netsmen and anglers are expected to release every salmon they catch. It’s not just a legal requirement — it’s a crucial step to protect the species. Every spawning fish matters.”

Further analysis showed the salmon had spent two years in the Teifi as a juvenile before migrating to sea, where it spent another two years feeding before returning to its native river to spawn — a journey that underscores the ecological significance of every individual fish.

Heritage under pressure

While NRW says its enforcement actions are necessary to protect the future of wild salmon, coracle fishers argue that their ancient craft is being regulated out of existence. Many say they are being punished for mistakes while industrial pollution and large-scale farming runoff continue to degrade river habitats with little consequence.

“This is our heritage — not just a job, but our way of life,” one local netsman told The Herald. “We’ve followed the rules, bought the tags, shortened the season, but now even a simple mistake can lead to court. Meanwhile, slurry pours into the river and nobody is held accountable.”

Indeed, the Teifi has suffered from repeated pollution incidents in recent years, with sewage overflows and agricultural discharge blamed for reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic life.

The river is designated a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive due to its internationally important salmon population. Yet recent monitoring data from NRW shows that wild salmon numbers remain critically low, with fewer than 1,000 returning to the Teifi in some years — down from tens of thousands in the 1980s.

Is NRW focusing on the wrong target?

While NRW has emphasised the need for strict compliance from netsmen and anglers, critics argue that such prosecutions miss the bigger picture — and that the real threats to Welsh rivers come from far larger sources than a handful of coracle fishers.

Farming runoff, sewage discharges, deforestation and bank erosion have all been cited by environmental groups as leading contributors to the sharp decline in water quality across Wales. Data from NRW and third-party groups like River Action and Surfers Against Sewage show regular breaches of water safety limits, with phosphates, nitrates and slurry regularly entering protected river systems like the Teifi.

Despite this, enforcement against major polluters remains rare. According to NRW’s own reports, only a small fraction of reported incidents result in prosecution — and fines, when issued, are often minimal.

“What’s happening is a kind of environmental scapegoating,” one local conservationist told The Herald. “You’ve got ancient fishing practices with deep cultural roots being criminalised, while industrial agriculture and water companies carry on polluting with virtual impunity.”

This sense of injustice is echoed in local fishing communities. While coracle fishers have drastically cut back their activity, embraced tagging schemes, and complied with shortened seasons, they say NRW is failing to hold powerful polluters to the same standard.

A question of balance

NRW insists that its approach balances conservation with cultural heritage. Goddard said the agency would continue to inspect restaurants, fishmongers, and coastal buyers as part of its “Buyer Beware” campaign, aimed at preventing illegal salmon sales and educating businesses on the byelaws.

But for many in west Wales, Dellar’s case is a sign of a deeper unease — that a way of life is slipping away under the weight of bureaucracy and ecological crisis.

“Once the coracle netsmen are gone,” said another local, “they’ll be gone for good. And we’ll have lost something you can’t bring back — not just a fish, but a tradition.”

Crime

Welsh Lib Dems urge ministers to rethink rates relief for struggling pubs and cafés

Published

5 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Calls grow for Welsh Government to match support offered to English venues

THE WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS have urged the Welsh Government to review its business rates policy, warning that scaling back support for pubs and hospitality risks further closures across towns and villages.

Party leader Jane Dodds, who represents Mid and West Wales in the Senedd Cymru, said ministers should act quickly to protect local venues after additional support for pubs and music venues was announced for England by the UK Government.

The measures announced by the Chancellor do not automatically apply in Wales, leaving uncertainty over whether similar help will be introduced here.

Hospitality businesses across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire have already reported rising energy bills, higher wage costs and reduced footfall since the pandemic. From April, current business rates relief is expected to be reduced, a move the Liberal Democrats say could place Welsh firms at a disadvantage compared with competitors over the border.

Dodds said that pubs, cafés and restaurants form “the heart of our communities” and warned that withdrawing relief now would be “a serious mistake”.

She told the Senedd that support “cannot stop at pubs alone” and should extend to the wider hospitality sector, including restaurants and family venues that rely heavily on seasonal trade and tourism.

“When questioned, the First Minister said she needed to examine the details of the English package before committing to anything similar for Wales,” Dodds said. “Without urgent action, we risk losing viable, well-loved businesses that communities simply cannot afford to lose.”

The party is also calling for UK-wide action, including a temporary reduction in VAT for hospitality and tourism, funded by a windfall tax on large banks.

However, Welsh Government sources have previously argued that decisions on rates relief must be balanced against pressures on public finances, with ministers required to prioritise health, education and other frontline services within a fixed budget. They have said any additional support would need to be affordable and targeted.

Industry bodies have echoed concerns about the challenges facing the sector. Trade groups say many independent pubs and cafés continue to operate on tight margins, particularly in rural areas where they serve as community hubs as well as businesses.

Local operators say clarity is now key, with decisions on staffing, stock and opening hours often planned months in advance.

With the next financial year approaching, hospitality owners will be watching closely to see whether Wales mirrors England’s support – or leaves businesses to absorb the extra costs alone.

Crime

Welsh mother sent indecent image of daughter to convicted sex offender

Published

1 day ago

February 1, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Woman handed suspended sentence after sending photos of primary school child to known paedophile she was “in a relationship” with

A WELSH mother has avoided immediate prison after admitting she sent indecent photographs of her young daughter to a convicted paedophile she described as being “in a relationship” with.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after pleading guilty to making and distributing an indecent image of a child.

The case emerged when West Mercia Police recovered images from a known sex offender’s device during an unrelated investigation. Officers identified that several of the images had been sent by the child’s mother and passed the intelligence to South Wales Police.

Eight photographs of the primary school-aged girl had been shared. One image, described in court as Category C, showed the child half-naked on a sofa.

When officers arrived at the family home to arrest her, the defendant was overheard telling her children: “Mummy has been in conversation with a silly man who had got her into trouble.”

During interview, the court heard she struggled to explain her behaviour. She told police her relationship with her partner at the time had broken down and she had felt “lost”, adding that she had “enjoyed the attention” from the man.

Sentencing, His Honour Paul Thomas KC described the offending as a “terrible breach of trust”.

He said sending such an image to a man she knew was a paedophile who wanted it for sexual gratification was “wholly beyond most people’s comprehension”.

The judge added it was fortunate her “pandering” to the offender had been uncovered before matters escalated further.

While acknowledging that any punishment would “pale into insignificance” compared with the lifelong consequences for the family, he said the offence crossed a serious threshold.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons in order to protect the identity of her daughter, has no previous convictions. The court was told her children are no longer in her care.

Defence counsel said she had been tearful and remorseful, telling solicitors she had “ruined her life”. A psychiatric assessment diagnosed her with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

She was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The court also imposed:

– 150 hours of unpaid work
– Completion of a rehabilitation programme
– Registration as a sex offender for ten years
– A Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years

Child protection specialists say the case underlines the risks of online relationships and the importance of reporting concerns early, particularly where vulnerable adults may be targeted by known offenders.

If you are worried about a child’s safety, contact police on 101 or report concerns anonymously via Crimestoppers.

Crime

Man to stand trial accused of making death threat to Herald editor

Published

3 days ago

January 30, 2026

Court Reporter

Defendant allegedly threatened serious harm in telephone call

A 34-YEAR-OLD Pembroke man is due to stand trial on Monday (Feb 2) accused of sending a message threatening death or serious harm to Pembrokeshire Herald editor Tom Sinclair.

Anthony Jones, of Castle Quarry, Long Mains, Monkton, is listed to appear before magistrates for trial at 12:00pm.

Court records show Jones faces two charges.

The first alleges that on February 24, 2025, in Pembroke, he made a communication that conveyed a threat of death, intending – or being reckless as to whether – the recipient would fear the threat would be carried out.

The charge is brought under section 181 of the Online Safety Act 2023. The offence carries a maximum penalty of twelve months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The second charge relates to an unrelated incident on April 8, 2025. Jones is accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards a police officer, causing harassment, alarm or distress. The offence is alleged to have been racially aggravated under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

That charge carries a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Both matters were previously adjourned from December 10, 2025 for a full trial hearing.

The Herald understands the alleged threat formed part of online communications sent earlier this year and was reported to police.

Jones denies the offences and the case is expected to be contested.

The trial is scheduled to take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.