An angler who removed adult salmon from the River Tywi using an illegal barbed fishing hook has been ordered to pay almost £3,000 in fines and costs by Llanelli magistrates.

Gavin Davies was seen by officers catching the fish on the Wenallt fishing beat last September.

Despite it being a legal requirement to use barbless fishing hooks when targeting migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout and also to release live fish back into the river, Davies was observed attempting to put the dead salmon back into the river.

“He showed a very poor catch and release practice which would have contributed to the fish’s death if it had not already died due to the damage caused by the illegal barbed hook,” said a Natural resources Wales spokesperson.

Immediately after its release, the fish was seen floating down the river. After being recovered by officers, the fish was found to have fatal gill damage caused by the illegal hook.

The case against Davies of Heol Spurrell, Carmarthen, was heard in his absence following his failure to attend court on two separate occasions.

The fine, costs and victim surcharge totalled £2,917.91.

The NRW has confirmed that the female salmon that died as a result of Davies’ actions may have contributed nearly 5000 eggs if it had spawned in the higher reaches of the Tywi catchment.

These lost salmon eggs represent an important loss for a river catchment which is already not meeting its spawning targets for successful future fish stocks.

“This is a case study in how not to fish for migratory fish,” added the spokesperson.

“Gavin Davies was experienced and well versed in the angling byelaws, but still knowingly used an illegal method to catch the salmon. He displayed shockingly poor technique in trying to release the salmon and showed no respect for fish welfare.”