Angus Council has hit out at visitors using Arbroath’s Keptie Pond for fishing.
It comes after the local authority removed one dead waterhen from the pond and discovered a duckling with a hook in its mouth.
The council says a “small minority” of visitors continue to flout the rules that forbid fishing at the pond, endangering wildlife as a result.
Locals have also spoken out against the issue, with one warning that fishing is “keeping a lot of folk away from the pond” due to “disgusting” mess left behind.
Angus Council hits out at fishing at Keptie Pond
An Angus Council spokesperson said: “Fishing is not allowed on Keptie Pond due to the environmental impact.
“Endangering wildlife is a criminal offence and with the help of our police colleagues we hope to deter any such behaviour and enforce the no fishing rule.
“We continue to engage with those fishing at Keptie Pond as, despite our best efforts to discourage fishing, a small minority continue to disregard the signage and comments from concerned locals regarding the dangers to wildlife.
“We have removed one dead waterhen from the pond and have reported to the SSPCA a duckling with a hook in its mouth.”
The Scottish SPCA confirmed workers had attended Keptie Pond twice in the past four days but found no sign of any duck or wildlife in distress.
A dedicated group of volunteers, known as The Keptie Friends, had previously spent thousands of hours creating a wildlife haven at the pond.
However, members threw in the towel last year in a protest over the go-ahead for Scouts to kayak on the pond.
Originally used for skating, Keptie Pond was also a boating pond until spiralling costs and health and safety demands led to the removal of the rowing boats by council leisure bosses in 2002.
Councillor appeals to ‘good nature and common sense’ of visitors
Councillor Serena Cowdy, the council’s spokesperson for environment, said fishing gear can lead to a “slow and extremely painful death” for animals who get caught.
She also appealed to visitors’ “good nature and common sense”.
She said: “I’m sure everyone, like me, has found it extremely distressing to see wild birds being injured and killed by angling equipment being used at Keptie Pond.
“Entanglement in fishing gear can cause these animals a slow and extremely painful death.
“I know how much people in Arbroath love Keptie Pond and the wildlife that lives there.
“I am appealing to everyone’s good nature and common sense: Please move to a more appropriate angling location before more wildlife is injured or killed.”
Neil Cargill, a local photographer, spotted the duckling with a hook caught in its beak on Friday.
He said people fishing are using food such as bread and sweetcorn as bait, and that other wildlife is being affected “more and more”.
He told The Courier: “There are multiple floats all over the pond that have been snagged and snapped their line.
“No doubt more ducks will be affected unless someone can go in and collect them all.
“There is fishing line everywhere, various hooks lying about and the mess they leave behind is disgusting.”
He also claimed that locals approaching the fishing groups are met with “nothing but abuse”.
Neil added: “It’s getting beyond a joke now and keeping a lot of folk away from the pond, on a couple of occasions I’ve seen up to 20 teens there fishing and folk couldn’t get past for all the mess they had.
“It won’t be an easy task to stop them.
“The other thing I’ve seen a lot of them do is stand and take photos of what they catch then pass them round to their mates before throwing [the fish] back into water.”
Police called to Arbroath pond over fishing concerns
Police Scotland says officers were called to Keptie Pond twice last month to reports of fishing.
A spokesperson said: “On Monday, 10 June and Monday, 24 June, 2024, officers received reports of people fishing at Keptie Pond, Arbroath.
“Suitable advice was given and officers continue to work with partner agencies on the issue.”
Conversation