Environment Agency bailiffs checked 615 anglers fishing waters in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Of these, a total of 21 in Boston, Lincoln and near Sleaford were found to be without a valid rod licence and were issued with offence tickets. The Environment Agency’s National Enforcement Service will review each ticket issued and decide whether to prosecute.
Agency bailiffs are now working with angling clubs to organise joint patrols to help support angling club membership. Joint patrols help membership by aiding club bailiffs when they are doing their rounds and providing support when needed. Chris Reeds, environment officer at the Environment Agency, said: “The results of the Bank Holiday blitz show that the message is getting through – if you are fishing without a valid licence, you will be caught. However, a small number of anglers are continuing to flout the law and it is this minority we shall continue to target.
“All the money the Environment Agency receives from rod licence sales is ploughed back into making our fisheries better, so the people who don’t buy a licence are just cheating their sport and other anglers.
“We take rod licence evasion very seriously and anyone thinking of fishing without one should watch out – there will be a bailiff about.”
The bank holiday crackdown was part of ongoing patrols to ensure anglers stick to the rules. Since 1 April 2010, Environment Agency bailiffs have checked about 2,600 anglers for licences at more than 500 locations.
Anglers must be in possession of a licence before fishing and must be able to produce it when requested by an Environment Agency bailiff or other authorised person.
Licences may be bought from post offices, via the Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fish) or by dialling 08701 662662 (telesales). They run from 1 April to 31 March and two are required if an angler is using three or four rods.
Anyone caught without a valid rod licence can expect to be prosecuted and face a fine of up to £2,500.
Income from rod licence sales is used by the Environment Agency to fund vital work to maintain healthy fisheries. These include the National Fisheries Project Programme which invests around £2-million per year into local fisheries projects, designed to improve angling opportunities for anglers of all abilities nationwide.
2) WALES: Warning to restaurants on buying fish
Hoteliers and restaurant owners in North Wales are being warned by Environment Agency Wales not to buy untagged fish from poachers.
With rivers in full flow, this is a critical time for migrating salmon and sea trout making their way back upstream to spawn.
And the Agency is keeping a watchful eye, not just for poachers, but also on the places which buy illegally caught fish and sell them to their customers. Since last year, only tagged salmon from sustainable sources can be sold to food outlets to reduce the amount of poaching.
Now the Agency warns restaurants that it will take enforcement action against anyone caught with untagged fish.
Alan Winstone from Environment Agency Wales said: “This is a vitally important part of the year for our wild stocks. If salmon are taken before they spawn a whole generation can be wiped out, devastating the local population for years. “Restaurants who buy from poachers are as much a part of the problem as the poachers themselves. They should know that we will be checking kitchens during the next few months and already have intelligence suggesting where we should look.
“Fish like salmon and sewin are an important part of the economy in north Wales. They bring in millions of pounds to rural areas – so people who buy and sell illegally caught fish are also damaging the local economy.”
David Wainright of the Gwydyr Hotel, Betws y Coed, supports the Agency’s warning. He said: “Most restauranteurs would not dream of buying illegally caught fish – but unfortunately some will, without thinking of the wider implications. “This can cause real damage to fish populations and the local economy – the fewer fish there are in the river, the fewer anglers will visit North Wales. It can be a vicious cycle.”
Last year Environment Agency Wales prosecuted 125 people in North Wales for fishing illegally. The figure includes anglers fishing without a licence and people using nets and other illegal equipment.
If people suspect any restaurant is selling illegally caught fish or see anyone acting suspiciously by a river they can report it to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.
