Press release: North East man fined for illegal fishing

A Newcastle man has been fined for fishing using an illegal set line which can be damaging to fish stocks following an investigation by the Environment Agency.

Lin Zhi Jin, 42, of Belgrave Parade, Newcastle, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Friday 13 April where he pleaded guilty to fishing using the illegal equipment. He was ordered to pay a total of £400 in fines and costs.

A set line, which is a fixed line above water with baited hooks attached to it, can result in severe injury to fish and is indiscriminate in nature, making it a damaging method of capture.

It happened in the early hours of 26 July last year when Environment Agency Fisheries Enforcement Officers were carrying out patrols of the River Tyne in the Wylam area when they saw the defendant on the river bank. He was spoken to and produced a valid rod licence, which permits fishing using a rod and line.

While checks were being carried out a search of the immediate area revealed a set line tied to a post on the river bank and leading into the river. It was hauled in and found to have four baited hooks attached to it.

Potential to damage fish populations

Kevin Summerson, Fisheries Technical Specialist at the Environment Agency, said:

The River Tyne is an important river for migratory fish and this spot in Wylam is popular for keen anglers. This type of equipment is illegal to use in rivers in England for a reason – they have the potential to cause significant damage to fish populations.

We take all kinds of illegal fishing very seriously, whether it’s those fishing without a licence or licensed anglers using illegal equipment. It’s not fair on other anglers who make sure they fish within the law, and also endangers the future of the sport by damaging the sustainability of fish stocks.

The Environment Agency’s work is intelligence-led and they work closely with partners to target known hot spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Important for people to report illegal fishing

During March the Environment Agency prosecuted nine anglers at courts in the North East for unlicensed fishing and associated offences, resulting in fines and costs totalling almost £2,000.

This included three men from Morpeth prosecuted for unlicensed fishing and byelaw offences that took place on 29 September 2017 on the River Wansbeck. Fisheries Enforcement Officers were supported by Northumbria Police when they made the arrests.

Ashley Lawson, 29, of Shields Road, Dwayne Dodds, 33, of Rutherford Place, and Martin Shaun Pringle, 28, of Kitty Brewster Road, all had their cases proved in absence at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court and received fines and costs totalling more than £1,100.

Kevin added:

As well as unlicensed fishing some of these offences included obstruction, failing to state correct names or addresses, using illegal baits, close season offences and theft. It’s really important people report information about suspected illegal fishing to us so we can investigate.

The Environment Agency urges anyone to report illegal fishing by calling 0800 80 70 60 and are always looking to gather good intelligence.

With the support of the Angling Trust Voluntary Bailiffs – who keep watch on their local rivers and report suspicious activity to the Environment Agency and when appropriate, the police – this network has increased.

The Environment Agency is currently working with the Angling Trust as part of Operation Clampdown – the annual blitz on illegal coarse fishing during the close season, which started on 15 March and runs until 15 June.

All income from rod licence sales is used to fund Environment Agency work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, including improving habitats for fish and facilities for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage people to give fishing a go.

Buying a rod licence is quick and easy – you can buy them online



News story: Prime Minister of India’s visit, April 2018

Updated: closer military ties announcement added

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has today begun his second visit to the UK as an official Guest of Government, as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The UK and India are bound together by numerous personal, professional, cultural and institutional ties, and also share a global outlook and a commitment to the rule of law, making us natural partners. The visit will help strengthen this partnership further, improving the prosperity and security for the UK and India.

Foreign Secretary welcomes Prime Minister Modi to the UK

Foreign Secretary welcomes Prime Minister Modi

The UK and India are bound together by numerous personal, professional, cultural and institutional ties, and also share a global outlook and a commitment to the rule of law, making us natural partners. Today’s visit will help strengthen this partnership further, improving the prosperity and security for the UK and India.

Prime Ministers’ meeting

Prime Minister Theresa May met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They held wide-ranging and constructive discussions and underlined our strategic partnership and growing convergence on regional and international issues.

Read the UK-India joint statement.

Memorandums of Understanding, agreements and partnership announcements

The UK and Indian governments announced a wide range of new initiatives and agreements.

View the full list of Memorandums of Understanding and agreements.

Health

The United Kingdom and India will extend their health partnership and share research, knowledge and technology in areas of anti-microbial resistance, low cost health products and high yield crops.

Research

The UK will continue to grow our already strong research partnership with India with tech-focused investments that focus on issues of global importance including agriculture, clean energy, global health and the environment.

Tech

A new UK-India Tech Partnership will pair businesses, universities and others from different regions in the UK with states in India.

Trade

A new India-UK Trade Partnership will seek to improve the accessibility of trade and remove barriers for businesses in both countries.

UK-India trade links

Closer military ties

The UK and India will continue to strengthen their defence and security relationship, working more closer together than ever before to tackle terrorism and threats to cyber security.

The UK and India are joined by a ‘living bridge’ as thousands of British and Indian people live, work and study together each year.

UK-India cultural links



CFS urges public not to consume a kind of French cheese suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (April 18) urged the public not to consume a kind of cheese imported from France due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen. The trade should stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

     Details of the product are as follows:

Product name: Brillat Savarin
Place of origin: France
Producer: Sarl ETS Beillevaire
Lot No.: 180140 and 1801579
Best-before dates: March 9, 2018, and March 11, 2018

     “The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is being recalled. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a local importer, K-Element Limited, had imported some of the affected product into Hong Kong,” a spokesman for the CFS said.

     The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow-up. The importer confirmed that it had imported about 4 kilograms of the affected product and all of them were distributed. It has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ advice. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 3106 4722 during office hours.

     “Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in the newborns,” the spokesman said.

     The spokesman urged consumers not to consume the affected product if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to monitor the case and take appropriate follow-up action. Investigation is ongoing.



Transcript of remarks by Chairman of Legislative Council Commission on deliberations made by the Commission

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     Following is the remarks by the Chairman of the Legislative Council Commission (The Commission), Mr Andrew Leung, on deliberations made by the Commission at a media briefing at the Legislative Council (LegCo) Complex today (April 18):

     First of all, regarding the recovery of Members’ remuneration and operating expenses from the four persons who have been disqualified from assuming the office of LegCo, the Commission considered that as public monies are involved, it is necessary to take into account all relevant factors, including the Administration’s reply, in handling the matter.  The Commission noted the legal advice that it has legal basis to recover the monies.

     Meanwhile, the Commission has also considered the defenses of the four persons, the chance of success of the recovery action, as well as the legal costs involved.

     According to preliminary estimate, the legal costs may amount to over HK$10 million.  The Commission agreed that public money must be used prudently.

     After deliberations, the Commission has decided that, subject to the fulfillment of the following conditions, the Commission will take it as the full and final settlement of the matter:
 

  • Firstly, they must return the advance of the operating funds; 
  • Secondly, they must return all the capital items, such as mobile phones and laptop computers; and
  • Thirdly, they must return certain prepaid expenses to the Commission.

     In other words, the amount to be returned by each of the four persons is in the region of HK$190,000 to HK$310,000.

     The above offer is made on a without prejudice basis.

     If any of the conditions mentioned above is not met, the Commission will consider commencing legal action to recover all the monies paid to them.  The Secretariat will follow up on the details.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)



Press release: PM meeting with Prime Minister of India: 18 April 2018

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

This morning the Prime Minister welcomed Prime Minister Modi of India to Downing Street for bilateral talks. The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the chemical weapons attacks in Salisbury and Syria, expressing concern and making clear their opposition to the use of chemical weapons by any party in any circumstances.

The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s position on Russia’s recent destabilising behaviour, underlined by the attack in Salisbury and the protection provided for the Syrian regime’s repeated use of chemical weapons against its people.

The leaders discussed their shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific and committed to working more closely together to ensure it remained free and open.

They reflected on the progress made on bilateral defence and security cooperation since the Prime Minister’s visit to India in 2016 and the agreement to a number of Defence Capability Partnerships in key strategic areas, with closer military-to-military ties underpinned by a succession of high level visits and exchanges. They agreed to continue working together closely to combat terrorism, radicalisation and online extremism.

They also discussed co-operation between the two countries on legal matters. Mrs May welcomed the return to the UK of the Chennai Six.

The Prime Minister updated Prime Minister Modi on the progress of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, saying the implementation period agreed in March gives Indian companies and investors the confidence that market access will continue on current terms until the end of 2020.

She reiterated that the UK will remain committed to global free trade and investment and that the UK will remain a leading hub for global finance. Prime Minister Modi said there would be no dilution in the importance of the UK to India post-Brexit. He said the City of London was of great importance to India for accessing the global markets and would remain so.

The two leaders said trade between the UK and India had grown strongly over the last year and Prime Minister Modi said that Brexit offers opportunities to further increase trade ties.

The Prime Ministers welcomed the £1 billion of commercial deals which has been agreed today. They agreed to build on the recommendations of the UK-India Joint Trade Review to reduce barriers to trade, to make it easier to do business in both countries and enable a stronger bilateral trade relationship for the future.

Looking to the future the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the new UK-India Tech Partnership agreed today which will create thousands of jobs and generate significant investment in both our economies. The Prime Minister said the Partnership will be at the core of much that we’ll do together over the next decade.

Finally they looked forward to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting tomorrow and agreed on the importance of working together to build a more sustainable, prosperous, secure and fairer future for all Commonwealth citizens.