20/01/2005 - During December
2004 the number of prosecutions of illegal
anglers by the Environment Agency for rod
fishing licence offences fell below 300
for the first time since July.
Nationally, fines for the month amounted
to £18,170 with costs of £18,150
awarded to the Environment Agency. On average,
each unlicensed fishing trip cost the angler
£128.
Watford angler Ben Ross, 19, of Woodhall
Lane, pleaded guilty before Central Hertfordshire
Magistrates’ Court on 15 December to fishing
without a licence on 2 May 2004 at Bowmans
Green Park Lake, St Albans and was fined
£85 with £60 costs.
South west London anglers were brought
before the courts after being caught fishing
without a licence. John Evans, 37, of Bushey
Road, Rayners Park, pleaded guilty on 23
December at Guildford Magistrates’ Court,
and was fined £40 with £60 costs.
Jeremy Brown, 43, of Talbot Road, Ashford
and Arron McCumpha, 21, of Wheatley House,
Tangley Grove, Roehampton were both fined
£85 with £60 costs after pleading
guilty before Dorking Magistrates’ Court
on 20 December for fishing without a licence
at Old Bury Lakes, Dorking, Surrey on 3
May 2004.
Surbiton angler Richard Perry, 27, of Fleece
Road, Long Ditton was fined £85 with
£85 costs after pleading guilty before
Central Hertfordshire Magistrates’ Court
on 1 December for fishing without a licence
at Bowmans Green Farm Lake, near Potters
Bar, Hertfordshire on 2 May 2004.
Maidenhead angler Mark Prew, 37, of Bruce
Walk, Dedworth, pleaded guilty before East
Berkshire Magistrates’ Court on 8 December
to fishing without a licence on 2 May 2004
at the Royal Berkshire Fishery, near Windsor.
North east London anglers found themselves
in the courts after being caught fishing
without an angling licence. Christopher
Cowan, 30, of Station Road, Chingford, was
fined £110 with £85 costs on
3 December after he was caught on 2 May
2004 at Claverhambury Carp Fisheries, Upshire.
Ilford angler Darren Wright, 36, of Gordon
Road pleaded guilty before Dorking Magistrates’
Court on 20 December to fishing without
a licence at Old Bury Lakes, Dorking , Surrey,
on 3 May 2004 and was fined £85 and
£60
Yateley angler Richard Witney, 20, of Farm
View, was fined £60 with £60
costs by East Berkshire Magistrates’ Court
on 8 December after pleading guilty to fishing
without a licence at Swan Valley Lake, near
Sandhurst on 2 May 2004.
Bruno Pacinella, 38, of Queensland Avenue,
Edmonton was fined £80 with £60
costs on 17 December after pleading guilty
to fishing without a licence at the Holyfield
Fishery, Waltham Abbey, on 3 May 2004.
On the same day, Lindsay Marie, 47, of
Cheyne Walk, Grange Park pleaded guilty
to angling without a licence at Lake John
Fishery, Waltham Abbey on 2 May 2004 and
was fined £80 with £60 costs.
Another Edmonton angler, Brad Roberts,
28, of Granham Gardens, was also fined £100
with £85 costs on 3 December for fishing
without a licence at Willowside Fishing
Lake, Waltham Abbey on 3 May 2004.
High Wycombe angler Kane Putnam, 19, of
Micklefield Road, pleaded guilty before
Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court on 16 December
to fishing without a licence at Gallows
Pool, Oakfield Fishery, Aylesbury, on 3
May 2004. He was fined £40 with £60
costs.
Battersea angler Richard Dewey, 40, of
Battersea Park Road, SW11, was fined £85
with £60 costs by Dorking Magistrates’
Court on 20 December, after pleading guilty
to fishing without a licence at Old Bury
Lake, Dorking, Surrey on 3 May 2004.
Dafydd Evans, the Environment Agency’s
Head of Fisheries said “This month’s decline
in prosecutions shows that our regulation
and fines serve as a warning to anyone considering
fishing without a licence.
“Rod licence fees are essential in improving
and maintaining the standard of fisheries
in England and Wales for all those who use
them, which is why we have this programme
of enforcement. Those who fish without a
licence face tough penalties including fines
of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing.”
Buying a licence couldn't be easier - there
are around 15,000 Post Offices and other
outlets which sell them direct; and for
a small additional charge they can be bought
over the phone (0870 1662662) or from our
web site - www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence.
