Fishery officers attacked and held at gunpoint

Zzippy

Fishery officers held up at gunpoint after confronting masked thugs using illegal nets

Scum.

rpmcmurphy

Zzippy wrote: »

Fishery officers held up at gunpoint after confronting masked thugs using illegal nets

Scum.

Disgraceful. All gardai resources should be deployed to find those responsible. no individual should have to face armed assailants equipped only with a torch and notebook

rpmcmurphy

rpmcmurphy wrote: »

Disgraceful. All gardai resources should be deployed to find those responsible. no individual should have to face armed assailants equipped only with a torch and notebook

I would like to see a more concerted approach to combating wildlife crime with members of the gardai accompanying state agencies charged with wildlife conservation on patrols as Is the case in the u.k. The environment agency work closely with the u.k police to combat such issues. Why not here?

Zzippy

rpmcmurphy wrote: »

I would like to see a more concerted approach to combating wildlife crime with members of the gardai accompanying state agencies charged with wildlife conservation on patrols as Is the case in the u.k. The environment agency work closely with the u.k police to combat such issues. Why not here?

Because wildlife crime is not seen as "real" crime,m hence why judges give paltry fines to poachers, if they bother to convict at all. Hence why the government is bowing to the IFA and planning to allow hedge cutting and burning in March and August, during the breeding season. A similar case in Scotland where a fishery officer was hit on the head with a rock resulted in a conviction for attempted murder. Here we'd be lucky to get a simple assault charge. Fisheries staff are trained but not equipped for violent encounters. No interest higher up in staff welfare. Even body cameras are now being stopped because they "intrude on people's privacy".

Gardai will have a fair idea who these guys were, proving it may be more difficult.

Discodog

rpmcmurphy wrote: »

I would like to see a more concerted approach to combating wildlife crime with members of the gardai accompanying state agencies charged with wildlife conservation on patrols as Is the case in the u.k. The environment agency work closely with the u.k police to combat such issues. Why not here?

The Guards not only don't have the numbers but no desire either. But the general population are to blame as well. I am sure that these men were noticed & possibly known. Poaching has been seen as the lovable rogue pursuit against the landed gentry. These criminals take it to a new level.

Eddie B

Just wondering how they came to this conclusion?

"But investigators suspect the men are former Provisional IRA sympathisers":rolleyes:

Zzippy

Eddie B wrote: »

Just wondering how they came to this conclusion?

"But investigators suspect the men are former Provisional IRA sympathisers":rolleyes:

Local common knowledge. Previous experience. Confidential informants. Plus most poachers don't tend to have f*cking handguns!

Eddie B

Zzippy wrote: »

Local common knowledge. Previous experience. Confidential informants. Plus most poachers don't tend to have f*cking handguns!

I don't think former IRA Sympathizers carry f*cking handguns either. Unless a f*cking spudgun.

kildare lad

you'd have to be very stupid to carry a gun while poaching.. get caught poaching a couple thousand fine, get caught with a gun 10 years in jail especially if you have previous IRA form. While i have no time for the top brass in the IFI and their policies,i have to commend some of the fisheries officers on the ground who do an often thankless and dangerous job. its just a pity the penalties for poaching in ireland are a lot higher. There should be a specialised unit within the gardai to work with the IFI to combat this problem.

Zzippy

Eddie B wrote: »

I don't think former IRA Sympathizers carry f*cking handguns either. Unless a f*cking spudgun.

To be honest I couldn't give a toss if they were IRA or not. I do care that two guys I personally know were attacked for just doing their job. All I know is the cowards with the gun and balaclava are scum. If they're IRA then they're IRA scum. The fact that someone is more worried about a paper associating them with the IRA than about the people who were attacked says it all really...

Eddie B

Zzippy wrote: »

Local common knowledge. Previous experience. Confidential informants. Plus most poachers don't tend to have f*cking handguns!

Zzippy wrote: »

To be honest I couldn't give a toss if they were IRA or not. I do care that two guys I personally know were attacked for just doing their job. All I know is the cowards with the gun and balaclava are scum. If they're IRA then they're IRA scum. The fact that someone is more worried about a paper associating them with the IRA than about the people who were attacked says it all really...

What I'm getting at, is that the media often twist a story, and add in detail that may not be fully true. Not saying it didn't happen that way, just that there's nothing stopping the media sticking in whatever Joe Soap said down the local pub.

It seems to be an Irish thing, find a net, and it's the IRA. Whilst out duck hunting, we used to often happen upon eel fishermen netting on the Shannon (when it was legal), and my buddy used to always say, " The IRA boys are out again". Now, there was no millitary style clothing, balaclava, or handguns, mostly just a friendly salute, but you know where I'm coming from.

Zzippy

Eddie B wrote: »

What I'm getting at, is that the media often twist a story, and add in detail that may not be fully true. Not saying it didn't happen that way, just that there's nothing stopping the media sticking in whatever Joe Soap said down the local pub.

It seems to be an Irish thing, find a net, and it's the IRA. Whilst out duck hunting, we used to often happen upon eel fishermen netting on the Shannon (when it was legal), and my buddy used to always say, " The IRA boys are out again". Now, there was no millitary style clothing, balaclava, or handguns, mostly just a friendly salute, but you know where I'm coming from.

This is the second time in my career I've seen a netting operation associated with IRA/ex-IRA men. I've seen hundreds of nets lifted and no mention of IRA. The previous time was also in Donegal about 15 years ago and involved a highly organised operation and a high speed car chase. Local gardai usually have good intelligence of who are/were involved in those kinds of activities, and I'm pretty sure the paper picked up on that. Very few people in this country outside city-based drugs gangs have access to illegal handguns, certainly not small-time rural poachers, and it's unprecedented for poachers to be armed in such a way.

Also AFAIR there were known IRA members involved in eel netting on the Shannon - it was covered on tv at one stage. I'm not sure why it was relevant as they were licensed fishermen, unless they were also engaged in illegal fishing. It might explain why your buddy always assumed IRA.

Interesting that you keep harping on about the medis twisting a story and haven't once condemned the actual incident. Your name isn't Gerry, by any chance?

jack01986

Disgraceful stuff.

pheasant tail

Yea disgrace surely, that's the thing ya never know what your walking in on, and looks like these lads are going to get away too

kupus

Hope they're caught quick. Who the fook brings a gun to go fishing
Ira scum

wexandproud

i really hope they are caught and locked up . i work in the fishing industry and am also a keen bass angler . through both avenues i have got to know a few of them quiet well and would have a good working relationship with them , even brought one them bass fishing a few times , they certainly don't deserve this . If any other government employee was treated like this there would be uproar

danbrosnan

People underestimate the money that can be made poaching salmon...

kildare lad

what would be the goin rate for salmon be??

danbrosnan

kildare lad wrote: »

what would be the goin rate for salmon be??

Wild salmon was 33euro per kilo in super value here in tralee last week, im not great at maths but that would be roughly around 15 - 16 euro a pound..

if you take a haul of ten fish say all roughly 5 pound thats 325 euro, i think.. lol


Alot of fish being caught in the 12 - 17 pound bracket at the moment some serious money being made, and the sad reality its mostly be oul poverty stricken farmers with 2016 land cruisers driving around and the only interested in one thing and thats money...

a148pro

danbrosnan wrote: »

Wild salmon was 33euro per kilo in super value here in tralee last week, im not great at maths but that would be roughly around 15 - 16 euro a pound..

if you take a haul of ten fish say all roughly 5 pound thats 325 euro, i think.. lol


Alot of fish being caught in the 12 - 17 pound bracket at the moment some serious money being made, and the sad reality its mostly be oul poverty stricken farmers with 2016 land cruisers driving around and the only interested in one thing and thats money...

That seems quite cheap - whenever I see it in Dublin, and its often Scottish, its 50 euro plus per kilo.

What I want to know is, given how at that price wild salmon is a very high end market product, who in god's name buys or sells wild salmon that isn't kosher, or buys it from organised criminals? When I've seen it on sale in Dublin it has IFI tags on the fish. I don't think I'd buy it or even give custom to a place that I had my doubts about.

It should be a criminal offence to offer for sale, or indeed to buy salmon purporting to be wild without being able to prove you took all reasonable steps to ensure its kosher (maybe it already is). That puts the onus back on the people ultimately responsible for the market in it. High fines, confiscation of all other stock on sale and jail sentences for repeat offenders.

hiujn

I knew a lad who used to spend all week fishing the local stocked trout lake just as it was stocked. There was a 3 fish per day quota. He would take his 3 in the morning head home for breakfast back to take another 3 home for lunch and back again for another 3. I'm pretty sure he would take more if it was quiet.

The fish were easily caught as they were used to being fed by hand on the farms and they would take anything that moved. He was selling them to the local hotel most people knew what he was at but you would be aswell talking to a wall as reporting him nothing was ever done about it.He made a right few bob at it.

So the answer to your question on who would buy salmon from poachers would be hoteliers imo.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

hiujn wrote: »

I knew a lad who used to spend all week fishing the local stocked trout lake just as it was stocked. There was a 3 fish per day quota. He would take his 3 in the morning head home for breakfast back to take another 3 home for lunch and back again for another 3. I'm pretty sure he would take more if it was quiet.

The fish were easily caught as they were used to being fed by hand on the farms and they would take anything that moved. He was selling them to the local hotel most people knew what he was at but you would be aswell talking to a wall as reporting him nothing was ever done about it.He made a right few bob at it.

So the answer to your question on who would buy salmon from poachers would be hoteliers imo.

That's very different to poaching wild salmon though. Nothing illegal, just poor management of a stocked lake.

hiujn

I know i was just making the point that hotels would buy the poached salmon.

pheasant tail

Isint it illegal for a hotel or restaurant to buy wild salmon?

Zzippy

pheasant tail wrote: »

Isint it illegal for a hotel or restaurant to buy wild salmon?

Only wild salmon that has not been caught legally - there are legal net fisheries for salmon on several estuaries around the country. IFI officers visit hotels and restaurants regularly to check compliance - paperwork, receipts, tags etc must be in order and freezers and cold stores are inspected.

kildare lad

hiujn wrote: »

I knew a lad who used to spend all week fishing the local stocked trout lake just as it was stocked. There was a 3 fish per day quota. He would take his 3 in the morning head home for breakfast back to take another 3 home for lunch and back again for another 3. I'm pretty sure he would take more if it was quiet.

The fish were easily caught as they were used to being fed by hand on the farms and they would take anything that moved. He was selling them to the local hotel most people knew what he was at but you would be aswell talking to a wall as reporting him nothing was ever done about it.He made a right few bob at it.

So the answer to your question on who would buy salmon from poachers would be hoteliers imo.

freshly stocked trout taste like crap so i cant imagine him makin to much money!!

hiujn

Well he did a chef can put a nice sauce over anything to mask the crap taste sure aren't most fish ya get in hotels farmed anyways.

kildare lad

the only fish would be bass or salmon that are farmed...ive very rarely seen trout on the menu anywhere..maybe im just goin to the wrong places..lol... i ate a freshly stocked trout last year and only managed two bites out of it...it was horrible

Odelay

kildare lad wrote: »

the only fish would be bass or salmon that are farmed...ive very rarely seen trout on the menu anywhere..maybe im just goin to the wrong places..lol... i ate a freshly stocked trout last year and only managed two bites out of it...it was horrible

The only time I ate trout was at a restaurant, fairly upmarket place, it tasted rank. Like you I could barley eat it. It turned me off it for life. Is proper trout tasty? Might try it again.

pheasant tail

Zzippy wrote: »

Only wild salmon that has not been caught legally - there are legal net fisheries for salmon on several estuaries around the country. IFI officers visit hotels and restaurants regularly to check compliance - paperwork, receipts, tags etc must be in order and freezers and cold stores are inspected.

Yes I was aware of that, but it's illegal to sell legal caught rod salmon right..

Zzippy

pheasant tail wrote: »

Yes I was aware of that, but it's illegal to sell legal caught rod salmon right..

Yep, rod-caught salmon cannot be sold.

patspost

Fisheries officers have been issued revolvers in the past for personal protection.
Does this still happen or maybe only to officers that have been personally threatened?

rpmcmurphy

patspost wrote: »

Fisheries officers have been issued revolvers in the past for personal protection.
Does this still happen or maybe only to officers that have been personally threatened?

I severely doubt that fisheries officers have ever been armed with firearms in this country. You must be mistaken. They are not even permitted to carry pepper spray. Fighting fire with fire is not always the solution.

patspost

I agree fighting fire with fire is not always a solution. Also if you are issued with a fire arm there would be training needed. You would also have to be willing to use the weapon.

I know of 1 lad that was issued a firearm, I am sure more were.

pheasant tail

patspost wrote: »

I agree fighting fire with fire is not always a solution. Also if you are issued with a fire arm there would be training needed. You would also have to be willing to use the weapon.

I know of 1 lad that was issued a firearm, I am sure more were.

You know a fisheries officer who was authorised to carry a gun on patrol?

Fabo

In Holland the fisheries officers carry guns, never a problem.

Its the way to go.

Zzippy

Maybe in the distant past, but pretty sure no fisheries officers are authorised to carry guns now. They don't even get pepper spray or batons (not that they want them tbh)

patspost

pheasant tail wrote: »

You know a fisheries officer who was authorised to carry a gun on patrol?

Well he was issued with a gun / revolver for personal protection. He had it up to a few years ago, assume he still has it, not sure.

a148pro

Re trout comments above, not sure if I'm missing something - they're delicious. I've only ever had farmed but both rainbow and sea trout are lovely. Sea trout quite like salmon but less gamey and smaller, so can be more delicate.

Interestingly, I've had wild salmon a few times but prefer good farmed stuff as that's what I've gotten used to. I know most people (who probably got used to wild first) would say the opposite.

slaneylad

Farmed salmon so delicious.:p

Zzippy

a148pro wrote: »

Re trout comments above, not sure if I'm missing something - they're delicious. I've only ever had farmed but both rainbow and sea trout are lovely. Sea trout quite like salmon but less gamey and smaller, so can be more delicate.

Interestingly, I've had wild salmon a few times but prefer good farmed stuff as that's what I've gotten used to. I know most people (who probably got used to wild first) would say the opposite.

Farmed sea trout is rainbow trout farmed in sea cages. Perhaps if you knew what the fish were treated with and how they are farmed i.e. impact on the environment and wild fish, you might reconsider.

jkchambers

Straying a bit off topic. For many years there has been a problem with organised poachers on the Inny. I dont know whether its as bad now but , in the past, anyone who approached them were warned that they were IRA and were raising funds for the cause !!! One family in particular were notorious.

Bogwoppit

Zzippy wrote: »

Farmed sea trout is rainbow trout farmed in sea cages. Perhaps if you knew what the fish were treated with and how they are farmed i.e. impact on the environment and wild fish, you might reconsider.

You could say the same for all farmed meat if you think about it.

Zzippy

Bogwoppit wrote: »

You could say the same for all farmed meat if you think about it.

Getting very off topic, but not really. Farmed cattle, sheep and pigs are reared in a closed system, where the farmer has to dispose of their waste in a responsible manner, which costs money, and the use of pesticides and antibiotics is strictly controlled. Sea-reared salmon and trout are reared in an open system, where fecal matter and waste food is just allowed to enter the environment uncontrolled, and parasites and disease easily transfer to wild fish. In addition, the industry refuses to disclose to the government the amount of chemicals used to treat fish, and has managed to infiltrate organic certification bodies to the extent that "organic" salmon can be routinely treated with pesticides, chemical baths and antibiotics - none of this disclosed to the consumer of course.

SeaFields

Mod- getting very off topic alright. If someone wants to continue the discussion around the farmed fish topic please do so in new thread.