Convicted polluters and poachers need bigger fines

NSN are once again calling on members of the public who have concerns about the environment especially our waterways and our fisheries to add their signature to this petition and support us in our efforts to ensure polluters and poachers when convicted, are given real deterrents to discourage them from repeat offending.

Only 1 in 4 of our rivers have been classed as "good quality" and this is frightening given the decline in wild fish stocks and may have more than a little to do with the state our rivers and loughs are in.

With Salmon conservation so high on the agenda at this time, we feel that this is all part of a natural course to address this decline and perhaps, with all these issues being addressed in the right way, maybe reverse the decline and help kick start their recovery. 

We are all too aware of the small fines handed out to businesses and individuals when convicted and even when the fines are in the thousands, those fines are sometimes inadequate as deterrents in firms with huge profits each year. Fines need to be proportionate with their businesses incomes. Fines to poachers also need to be hard hitting to their pockets so as to remove the business potential of poaching.

We would like the Justice Minister to encourage his judiciaries to use more consideration when dealing with offenders. Bailliffs who are warranted by the courts also need this support to give them more of an incentive to make more detections.

By discouraging polluters and poachers, this is one more step in the right direction. We have the potential to create more employment and bring in more tourists by tackling issues like these and others. N.I has an opportunity to become one of the best fisheries in Europe.