Language barrier to fishing regulations


THE number of fish in Maid- stone’s rivers is decreasing be- cause Eastern Europeans are unable to read “no fishing” signs written in English. That is the view


of chairman of the River Len Nature Reserve manage- ment committee Cllr Tony Har- wood (pictured), who said he has had numerous complaints from residents, an- glers and councillors about men fishing without licences and during the close season when fish are breeding. Cllr Harwood said: “At the


River Len Nature Reserve I move on Eastern European (unauthorised) anglers regu- larly, and it is clear from our conversations that both cultur- ally and in administrative terms the individuals involved have no concept of licensing, nature conservation or welfare issues. “Our watercourses, particu-


larly small ones such as the Loose Stream and River Len, cannot support such attrition.” Live baiting for pike is taking


place within the River Len Na- ture Reserve, young fish are being captured from the Arch- bishop’s Palace grounds to pro- vide live-bait for pike fishing, and eel and pike are being taken from the Robins and Day millpond near Mill Street, Cllr


Harwood said. Brown trout are being fished


from Loose Stream at Cave Hill, and pike and eel are being taken from the River Medway, in the town centre, Tovil and Ringle- stone, and private land such as Langley Loch. Cllr Harwood said the fishing


issue combined with “home smokeries” appearing in peo- ple’s gardens was leading to “problematic” relationships be- tween Eastern Europeans and indigenous anglers, residents and nature lovers. He added: “The key issue is


the education of fisherman from migrant communities with a tra- dition of eating freshwater fish.” The Angling Trust Voluntary Bailiff Service, working with the Environment Agency, has produced a poster spelling out the “no fishing” rules in Eng- lish, Lithuanian, Slovenian, Polish and Romanian. The max- imum penalty for fishing with- out a licence is £2,500 but fishing out of season could cost fishermen up to £50,000. Anyone who spots anglers fishing during the close season (March 15 to June 15) can report them to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060. Multi- lingual posters can be down- loaded at www.anglingtrust.net by clicking on Campaigns and selecting Building Bridges Proj- ect: Eastern European Anglers.


Lions quiz night and awards THE team fromMaidstone CAB had plenty to smile about atMaid- stone Lions’ annual quiz and presentation evening. Not only did they win the quiz, but they also heard the grant to replace their IT server had been approved. Lions president Malcolm Luxton said: “Maidstone CAB helps


many thousands of people each year, so it is only right that we should do all we can to ensure they can offer an efficient service. We are very pleased to have been able to help them.” Other awards included a contribution towardsMaidstone Chris-


tian Care’s vehicle to support the Food for Thought project; a new projector to support Hi Kent’s home visiting service; and copies of Life Changes – a PSHE resource presented to Maidstone Sorop- tomists for distribution to children’s centres. The quiz raised £700.


Car sales plan A GOVERNMENT planning in- spector has overturned a deci- sion by Maidstone council and given permission for the former Lily Spice restaurant on the A249 in Stockbury Valley to be used for vehicle sales. Applicant 4x4 Kent.com wanted to use the building to sell four-wheel-drive vehicles but Maidstone council said it would harm the rural setting and lead to increased traffic. But inspector Peter Eggleton


from The Planning Inspectorate said there would be less traffic. The inspector and Maidstone council imposed requirements for landscaping to ensure the site does not harm the aesthet- ics of the area.


Squirrel defence ARESIDENT in Bearsted Green has applied to cut back sycamore trees to prevent squir- rels getting into roof space. Shane Macgill wants to cut


back the trees to provide a gap of 3m from Bell House. His ap- plication form said it was “to improve a fairly unattractive self-seeded tree and to prevent damage to a listed building. It is also to reduce squirrels getting into roof space”. Maidstone Council will de- termine the application.


Solar plan PETER Howard has applied to install a solar panel on the south-facing roof of 3 North- downs View, Harrietsham.


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