30/09/205 - Nearly 300 illegal
anglers were prosecuted by the Environment
Agency in Wales and England, for rod fishing
licence offences in June 2005. The total number
of successful prosecutions for the month totalled
276. Fines totalled £18,470 with costs
of £17,683 awarded to the Agency, making
the average cost of an illegal fishing trip
around £130.
One of the highest fines for June was a total
of £800 imposed on four illegal anglers
at Abergavenny Magistrate's Court, caught
fishing without a valid licence.
The month of July saw a 23% drop in prosecutions
with 213 illegal anglers successfully prosecuted
for rod fishing licence offences. Fines for
July totaled £14,759 with costs of £13,075
to Environment Agency.
Dafydd Evans, the Environment Agency’s Head
of Fisheries said ‘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.’
‘It seems amazing that some anglers still
choose to play unfairly and cheat They areThey
honest anglers out of valuable resource for
fisheries across England and Wales. 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 purchased over the phone
(0870 1662662) or from this web site.
