POACHERS abandoned their haul of fish after being disturbed on the River Nith. Patrolling water bailiffs discovered hessian sacks full of dead sea trout and one salmon during a routine river check. The incident took place on the river near Blackwood Estate, Auldgirth.

Jim Henderson, a director of Nith District Salmon Fishery Board, told the Standard: “We were out patrolling to protect the river against poachers. These kinds of things aren’t common. They used to be more prevalent in the past but this was a chance encounter. It’s depressing to see this happen when you’re working so hard to protect a species which brings a lot of economic value to the area. It’s awful that people can come in and commit a cruel act like this and not care about the impact of their actions”

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Dumfries & Galloway Standard