Home / Bizarre Laws / Handling Salmon in Suspicious Circumstances
Handling Salmon in Suspicious Circumstances
It is an offense to handle a salmon in suspicious circumstances. It is a real law, and it is less silly than it sounds.
- Status
- In force; amended in 2009
- Where
- England and Wales, with a parallel provision in Scottish law
What it says
Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986, as originally enacted, was headed “Handling salmon in suspicious circumstances.” It makes it an offense to receive a salmon, or help keep, move or dispose of it, when you believe, or it would be reasonable for you to suspect, that a related fishing offense has been committed. In other words, it is the fish version of handling stolen goods.
The wording is what keeps it in lists of weird laws. Stripped of context, “it is illegal to handle a salmon in suspicious circumstances” sounds like a rule about acting shifty near a fishmonger. It is not. Nobody is expected to prove a fish looks nervous.
Is it still law?
Yes. The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 amended section 32. The text now reads “Handling fish in suspicious circumstances” and covers trout, eels, lampreys, smelt and freshwater fish as well as salmon. It is a defense to show that no relevant offense had in fact been committed.
Wonder why anyone would bother poaching them? Salmon: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate affiliate link by Mark Kurlansky is a good place to start. Prefer a library copy? Try Open Library.