Wildlife Crime
This section of the website is aimed at providing paddlers with information about wildlife crime and encourages anyone in the countryside to be aware of what to look out for and how to report anything that appears to be suspicious.
The Police take wildlife crime very seriously now and penalties for wildlife criminals are becoming increasingly tough.
Freshwater Pearl Mussels - one aspect of wildlife crime that paddlers may see on a river is the stealing of Freshwater Pearl Mussels. This article by the National Wildlife Crime Unit explains the facts you need to know about this aspect of wildlife crime. Tayside police have a page on their website giving some more background about wildlife crime. SNH also have a leaflet devoted to Freshwater Pearl Mussels.
Poaching is a Crime - it's been brought to our attention that a number of paddlers have been seen trailing a fishing line behind their boats on the Spey this year. It's not clear whether the culprits were serious poachers using canoes or proper paddlers unaware of the seriousness of the crime they were actually committing. Attempting to catch a fish in this way on any inland water (not just the Spey) is poaching and is a crime, so please be aware of that and don't do it.
If the Spey (or any other) Fishery Board Bailiffs catch people fishing illegally from canoes they will take legal action against those commiting the offence. This will include the seizure of the fishing tackle and, if being used from canoes, the impoundment of the canoes (they are legally entitled to seize these if they have been used to help perpetrate the crime). Vehicles can also be seized for the same reasons (e.g. if a salmon taken illegally has been put into the back of a vehicle). The Fishery Board will then prosecute those caught. By asking the SCA to pass on this information to paddlers they are not trying to be provocative or confrontational. It's part of a Fishery Board's job and they treat all poachers in the same manner. From the SCA's point of view we are passing on this information because we don't want any genuine paddlers to underestimate the seriousness of poaching as a crime, and we would not like to see you falling foul of laws you weren't aware of.
Each of the Scottish Police forces now has a Wildlife Crime Coordinator and network of local Wildlife Crime Officers. These coordinators and officers are usually willing to give presentations to clubs and societies if you make a request. The following list should be useful if you have something to report or if you wish to request a club talk.