More Welsh Anglers Hit The Banks

More and more people in Wales are going fishing as Environment Agency Wales figures show an increase in people buying a rod licence.

By the end of August , there had been an increase of almost 9% in the amount of people buying a licence in Wales compared to the same period last year. The money from rod licence sales is vital to help maintain and improve the sport in Wales.

Over the last few years, through funding by the Welsh Assembly Government, the Agency has been able to encourage people to try angling for the first time. Angling participation events, run with angling clubs, fishery owners, youth organisations and schools, are proving a great way to get people involved in the sport.

Environment Agency Wales Fisheries Manager, Andy Schofield said:

"Given the poor weather this summer we were expecting a slowdown in our licence sales. But, the exceptional results we’ve seen this year, building on the increases in previous years, show the efforts of angling clubs and their coaches has paid off.

"As well as promoting the benefits of angling, our officers are also working hard to catch those who cheat the system by fishing without a licence."

Money from rod licence sales goes directly towards protecting and improving fisheries in Wales."

Some examples of the improvements made using rod licence monies include:

• The Penllergaer Pond project, Swansea, where we helped a community group to restore a small pond, creating a brand new community fishery for local young people to use.
• Porthcawl Community Fisheries - Developing Wilderness Lake in Porthcawl, dredging the lake to improve water quality for fish, creating new areas of bank-side vegetation and improving access by installing more than 20 angling platforms around the pond.
• Torfaen Angling Participation Project is an ongoing partnership between angling clubs, the Environment Agency and sports lottery. The aim is to provide more angling opportunities for local people, by training clubs members as angling coaches so they can then introduce the sport to local people who might not have had the opportunity to try it previously. TAPP has also improved facilities and access at three fisheries in the area. 
• Cwm Hedd, Newport , Gwent - We have worked with the owners of the lake, and the British Disabled Angling Association to improve access to the fishery for wheelchair users.
• Habitat improvements on the Lower Dee - Tree clearance and planting of reed beds on the River Dee upstream of Eccleston has provided ideal spawning and fry nursery habitat for coarse fish. We have also, installed and maintained fishing platforms on the river.
• Moss Valley Lake, near Wrexham has been reinvigorated with help from rod licence funding. We worked with Wrexham Council to build 50 new fishing pegs and access paths. Following this the Moss Valley Angling Club was formed, which now has 200 adult and youth members.
  

Rod licences can be bought online at any time of day or night simply by visiting www.environment-agency.co.uk/rodlicence. You can pay using your debit or credit card to make sure that your days fishing doesn't end up as a day in court.

Alternatively call our sales office on 0870 1662662 which is open from 8am - 8pm, seven days a week from March until October. They are also available at any Post Office in England and Wales.

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