ILLEGAL salmon fishing could pose a further threat to falling salmon stocks in the River Severn.

There are strict prohibitions on netting wild salmon at this time of year, and members of the public are being asked to check whether fish offered for sale have been caught legally, in a bid to save the breed from extinction.

Salmon eggs deposited in the Severn each year reduced from around 70 million in the mid-1980s to around 10 million in 2000 and the river has failed to reach its spawning targets for the last four years.

But despite the severe depletion of salmon stocks in the Severn and other British waters, illegal fishing still goes on, says the Environment Agency.

Spring salmon are protected by national bylaws that prohibit the killing of salmon by nets before June 1 and require the release of all rod-caught salmon before June 16.

Anyone buying or selling wild salmon must make sure that it has been legally caught.

Offenders are liable to a fine of £2,500 or more and could face imprisonment if they buy or sell fish that they could reasonably suspect to be caught illegally.

Assessment

As a reminder, the Environment Agency is sending a Buyer Beware! Leaflet to fishmongers and fish merchants throughout the country as well as to hotels, inns and restaurants in regions that contain major salmon rivers.

"Although most businesses are law-abiding, some may not be fully aware of the laws that affect the buying and selling of salmon," said the agency's head of fisheries, Dr David Clarke.

"We want to make sure everyone is informed of what to look out for and how to contact us if they are offered salmon in suspicious circumstances."

A few might be tempted to buy illegally caught salmon, but the agency would treat any offences very seriously, he said.

The latest annual assessment of salmon fisheries in England and Wales showed that less than 30 per cent of salmon rivers had satisfactory stocks.

However, the assessment also showed that some anglers are voluntarily releasing salmon caught after June 16 to help protect stocks, although there is no legal obligation to release them after that date.