Five boaters caught using their vessels on the River Thames without valid registrations and one with inadequate sanitary appliances have been convicted by magistrates.
As the navigation authority for the River Thames between Cricklade, Wiltshire and Teddington, Middlesex, the Environment Agency monitors all craft that passes through locks where staff are on duty and patrol. Boaters using the waterways need to register and display a valid boat licence and failure to do so will lead to prosecution.
The separate cases were heard at South Western Magistrates’ Court on Monday 16 January, Reading Magistrates Court on Friday 13 January, and Staines Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 12 January. All the registration offences were contrary to non-registration charges under Articles 4 and 18 of The Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010 and the offenders were ordered to pay a total of £6,587 in fines.
Mick Dutson, an Environment Agency Waterways Enforcement Officer, said:
“Boaters have a responsibility to ensure their vessels are registered and we regularly challenge people using boats on the river without licences. In response to customer feedback, we continue to do routine patrols and lockside checks. In addition we carry out targeted enforcement exercises and this is a direct result of that action.
It is crucial that boaters also provide adequate sanitary appliances for their boat to ensure that no raw sewage is discharged into the River Thames which can have a detrimental effect on human health and wildlife.
The income we raise from boat registration is very important for the community and the environment. It contributes directly to improving and maintaining waterway structures such as locks and lay-bys, as well as providing facilities like visitor moorings, water points, rubbish and sewage disposal and electric boat charging hook-ups.
It is vital that we continue to invest in our waterways to create and maintain a good quality environment that people can enjoy for years to come”.
You cannot use a boat on the non-tidal River Thames without it first being registered with the Environment Agency. This applies to all types of pleasure craft, including motor cruisers, sailing boats, narrow boats and unpowered vessels, such as canoes or rowing boats – such as those commonly used by anglers on the river.
An annual fee is payable upon registration and covers the period 1 January to 31 December. A licence plate is then issued which must be displayed on the vessel. Visiting boats also need to be registered to cover the period of the visit.
Anyone taking up boating should make themselves aware of the rules, regulations and general code of river behaviour. This information can be found in the publication ‘A user’s guide to the River Thames’ which can be picked up at locks or downloaded from www.visitthames.co.uk.
Checks are carried out at all lock sites and during regular patrols along the River. The Environment Agency regularly prosecutes those who do not pay their way.
