Police patrol Hampshire rivers to tackle illegal fishing

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it is actively patrolling rivers to crack down on illegal fishing and related antisocial behavior. The force reported that it receives reports of fish poaching every year, and that criminals have used intimidation tactics including shooting riverkeepers with ball bearings, vandalizing cars, and targeting home addresses, as well as killing wild animals. Under Operation Traverse, officers will continue patrolling river networks throughout the summer, when the constabulary says crime and antisocial behavior typically rise. Fish poaching, described as theft of fishing rights, is a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968. Officers recently dealt with a 15-year-old boy through a Community Resolution for a fish poaching offence near Romsey, and later spoke with three teenagers fishing at a private fishery near Whitchurch without further issues. The force urged people to report information about river crime.