'Injuries are horrendous' - Volunteers hit out after illegal fishing harms swans at Boldon Pond

Boldon Pond members have hit out at the amount of illegal fishing that is taking place at the pond, near to Testos Roundabout, due to the impact that it is having on wildlife in the area.

Volunteers have told the Shields Gazette that a number of swans have been injured as a result of illegal fishing practices, caused by discarded fishing line, hooks and litter that has been left behind.

The site strictly points out there is to be no fishing but it doesn’t stop people from going into the pond to do so.

One swan has had to be taken to a vet due to having a fishing hook stuck in its neck, with a cygnet also dying due to the same issues caused by illegal fishing in 2023.

Ann Walsh, one of the volunteers at Boldon Pond Members, has called more people to be aware of the wildlife at the pond.

She said: “We’ve reported the problems to the relevant authorities but the issue is that the pond sits on private land so there is not a lot that can be done.

“Personally I don’t care whether people fish or not, the problem that I’ve got is the damage that they leave behind when they do it.

“The injuries to the swans are horrendous and it isn’t just our pond, we’ve heard about similar issues at other ponds in South Tyneside.

“Once the swans get injured, then it impacts our time trying to catch them or get someone out to do that.

“Then on top of that, there is the expense of treating the swans and the cygnets as someone has to foot the bill.

“Pawz For Thought are a great charity who are our first port of call and if they can sort it, then they will but if the swan has go to a vet, then the fees are huge.

“It isn’t fair that charities like Pawz For Thought or the RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) should have fork out when someone is doing something illegal.

“We’ve tried talking to people who fish there and explain it from our point of view but they just don’t want to know about it - we’ve had horrendous abuse from people.”

Ann hopes that by speaking out about the issues that the volunteer group is facing at the pond, it might make people think about their actions.

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She added: “We’re at the end of our tether and don’t know what else to do really.

“Hopefully if people read or hear about this then they will see our point and make them think twice about what they are doing.

“I don’t think it will stop people fishing there but if it makes people more aware of what we are having to deal with then it might help.”

The Environment Agency has confirmed that it is investigating reports of illegal fishing at Boldon Pond following reports made by volunteers.

A spokesperson for the agency said: “We have responded to reports of unlicensed fishing activities at Boldon Pond and have conducted a number of visits to the site.

“On one occasion, two individuals were reported for these offences. We will thoroughly investigate this matter, and any decisions regarding prosecution will follow legal procedures.

“Our thanks go to members of the volunteer group who reported this issue to us.

“We encourage anyone with information about unlicensed fishing to contact our 24 hour incident hotline on 0800 807060 or make a report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”