THE Environment Agency have been accused of "using bully boy tactics" to stop two local men fishing for eels in the Severn estuary.
They went to court and pleaded guilty to the offences, but denied a charge they were fishing illegally in a private fishery controlled by the Environment Agency.
"Our nets were set in the estuary below the second Severn Bridge. The Environment Agency issued us with a licence to use the nets on the Caldicot Levels, but then attempted to prosecute us for being in a private fishery," said Mr Eden.
"I agree we broke some bylaws – like not having otter guards fitted, though so far as I know no-one has ever seen an otter in the estuary – but as far as fishing illegally is concerned I am convinced we did nothing wrong. People have fished on the Levels for years without any interference. For some obscure reason the Environment Agency seem to want to become involved and stop us even though they were the ones who had issued us with a licence in the first place," he said.
The illegal fishing charge was eventually dropped by the Agency.
"We intended to fight it all the way," explained Mr Eden.
"In our opinion they had to prove their title pre-dated the Magna Carta. We spent a lot of time in court and in the end it must have cost the taxpayer a mint," he said.
The two men were selling their catches to a Dutchman.
"They were never very great and we mainly did it for a bit of fun and to be out in the open air. I thought we had done everything properly. We even had consent from the Beaufort Estate, who own the riverbed, to drive out at low water.
"We would like to go back out there but after the case was dropped I went to pick up our nets which had been confiscated and was told that if we did so we would be prosecuted.
"It seems to me to be bully boy tactics and that we are being treated like criminals. But we have to ask ourselves if it is worth putting our heads in a noose again," said Mr Eden.
No-one from the Environment Agency was available to comment on the claims.