Three men were netted for illegal fishing in the sea at Fishguard.

During the early hours of the morning, Environment Agency Wales enforcement officers apprehended a group of three local men fishing illegally with a net.

The swoop was the result of a covert surveillance operation targeting the illegal removal of sea trout and salmon.

A number of fish including sea bass and sea trout were recovered from the net.

All three men, two of whom are from the Fishguard area with the third from nearby Newport, are due to appear in court for offences under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 and local sea fishery bylaws.

‘The protection of vulnerable fish stocks is one of the Environment Agency’s key objectives,” said Dafydd Williams, enforcement team leader.

“The prosecution of these offenders will hopefully act as a deterrent to others, and send out a clear message that we regard illegal netting activities as a serious matter.’

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