Angling Times today launched a Protect Our Predators campaign after one of its columnists found a freshly-filleted zander floating in the Warwickshire Avon.
Matt Hayes found a caravanner fishing nearby using three sea rods as nightlines. He openly admitted taking large pike and zander because he enjoyed eating them.
"The worrying thing is that this guy is one of many British anglers taking pike to eat or sell," Matt said.
"When combined with the pressure that foreign fish theft is putting on stock levels, it's little wonder that finding specimen predators on the Avon and Severn is harder than I've ever known it. Something must be done."
PAC president Phil Wakeford said: "We agree with what Matt's saying and we're 100 per cent behind him.
"We feel the real battle is to anglers to keep bombarding the EA with calls every time they see something, then we follow them up and keep exposing the inaction until it does start taking the problem seriously."
In his leader column, AT editor Richard Lee writes: "The mindless slaughter of pike, zander and perch that is undoubtedly happening across the country must stop - this isn't the Dark Ages."
