Library Image: Environment Agency
A Kent angler and another from London have been found guilty of fishing illegally on separate occasions last year.
Their cases were brought by the Environment Agency to Magistrates in Hastings on Thursday 27 April.
A man from London aged 25, was proved guilty in his absence at court to fishing without a licence and a further offence of leaving his fishing rods unattended at Monks Lakes, Maidstone, Kent on 27 November 2022.
He was found guilty and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £443. The penalty includes a fine of £220, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £88.
In a separate case a 24-year-old man from Sevenoaks, pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Wilderness Lake in East Grinstead, West Sussex on 10 September 2022. He was ordered to pay a total penalty of £96, including a fine of £40, costs of £40, and a victim surcharge of £16.
Dave Webb, Area Fisheries Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We hope the penalties the illegal anglers have received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.
“Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized. We inspect rod licences 24/7, 7 days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.”
“Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable. Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of legal anglers.”
- Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence to fish.
- A 1-day licence costs from just £6.60, and an annual licence currently costs from just £33 (concessions available).
- Junior licences are free for 13 – 16-year-olds.
- Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust.
Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.