12-May-2006
- Thirteen anglers were caught fishing without
a rod licence by Environment Agency officers over
the May Bank Holiday weekend on waters in the
Upper Trent area.
"Enforcement teams made
checks on 397 anglers at 39 waters across Staffordshire
and the West Midlands between April 29 and May
1 and caught 13 illegal anglers who were cheating
honest anglers," explained Environment Agency
Head of Fisheries Dafydd Evans.
Fishing without a licence is an offence and those
caught fishing illegally face tough penalties,
including fines of up to £2,500 and a ban
from fishing. But the message is sinking in for
Upper Trent anglers. The evasion rate for Upper
Trent this time stands at 3.27% compared with
7% in the May 2005 blitz for England and Wales
as a whole (and 6% for England and Wales this
time).
"Our officers directed
maximum effort to rivers and lakes where we believed
cheats would be present. People who fish without
a licence are cheating the system and their fellow
anglers. Around £19m is raised through rod
licences and invested in fisheries work that benefits
all anglers, fish stocks and the waterside environment.
We will continue with our blitz programme to bring
rod licence evasion down."
Over 80% (82.05%) of all Upper
Trent waters visited had no offences detected,
compared with 80% for England and Wales. A number
of anglers believed a licence was valid for 12
months from the date of purchase. This is not
the case. All rod licences expire on March 31.
The reminder comes after almost £600,000
was paid in fines and costs by more than 4,600
illegal anglers across England and Wales in 2005.
On average, these illegal fishing trips cost anglers
£128 each in fines and costs. A full season
coarse and trout licence costs just £24.
"Our staff are better equipped
than ever. With access to databases at the switch
of a mobile phone enforcement officers can verify
address and licence details, including whether
they purchased a licence the previous year. All
this makes catching licence evaders an easier
process," continued Dafydd.
More information:
Rod licences are available from:
1. Every Post Office in England
and Wales (c 15,000)
2. By telephone (for Full and
Junior Concessionary licences only) on
0870 1662 662
3. On-line (for Full, Junior
Concessionary, 8-day and 1-day licences only)
at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence
4. Through Direct Debit (for
Full and Concessionary licences only) at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence.
There is also a Direct Debit helpline on 01925
542 400.
Anglers are eligible for a concessionary
licence if:
Aged 12 to 16 inclusive (Junior)
Aged 65 years or over (Senior)
Have a blue badge
Blue badges are available to those who:
Receive the higher rate of the
mobility component of the disability Living Allowance
Receive War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
Are registered blind
Have a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people
by a Government Health Department
Have a severe disability in both upper limbs,
regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn
the steering wheel of a motor vehicle by hand
even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
Have a permanent and substantial disability, which
means you are unable to walk, or have very considerable
difficulty in walking.
