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.”