A very fishy donation to Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) regularly receives slightly unusual donations from the community but this week sees one of the most unusual.

Heléna Holt explained “We received a call from Mat Mander, Deputy Chief Officer of the Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (D&SIFCA) recently, who advised they were making a donation of £792.38 to the Charity.”

She added “This fantastic donation came from the sale of the mullet seized from an illegal net, found at the mouth of the River Erme in South Devon.  This was as part of a joint operation between the D&SIFCA, the Royal Marines, Flete Estate and Marine Management Organisation (MMO).  We would like to thank everyone concerned for their support of the Charity, which is very much appreciated.”

Matt Mander explained  “This seizure came about thanks to two Royal Marines, now based in Plymouth, who were in the area during the early hours on 13th March 2014 and who spotted the net and reported it  to  us.  On reaching the location it was clear that the net was in breach of our byelaw.  The byelaw restricts certain types of netting in all our estuaries and significant stretches of the coast out to one nautical mile.  The net was seized and the illegally caught fish were removed and sold by Brixham Trawler Agents on our behalf.

He added “Flete Estate have always been great supporters of Devon Air Ambulance Trust, therefore to reflect their efforts in helping us deal with this situation, we decided to donate the funds to their chosen charity.”

The D&SIFCA have a dedicated telephone line, where if you spot anything which looks suspicious or illegal in the estuaries or at sea, you can give them a ring.  You can remain anonymous.  The number is 07740 175479

About the D&SIFCA
Information about the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority can be obtained from www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk