Two high profile angling enthusiasts put political differences aside last week when they met to take their first look at the Environment Agency’s new look rod licence.
Martin Salter MP (Lab), chair of the all party parliamentary angling group and passionate advocate of anglers’ rights, and Charles Walker MP (Con), vice chair of the group, met in the House of Commons post office to admire the new designs.
Pictured L-R: Charles Walker MP, Tricia Henton (Director of Environmental Protection, Environment Agency), Kevin Seller (Post Office Ltd) and Martin Salter MP.
Martin Salter said: “Income from rod licences provides a vital source of funding for important work by the Environment Agency to improve our rivers, fisheries, and fish habitats. The new credit card style licence is convenient and waterproof and look good too. With more anglers buying licences year on year, I am sure this will prove an attractive innovation.”
Charles Walker said: “This is a great step forward and there is no excuse for people not to buy and carry their rod licence. If you love your sport you will pay to support it.”
The Environment Agency’s new credit card sized licence replaces the old-fashioned paper version which has seen few style changes since it was introduced in the 1860s. The licences are now water resistant – helpful for anglers – and feature fewer personal details on them, to reduce the risk of identity theft. The changes make the rod licence cheaper to administer, freeing up more licence money for fisheries improvement works.
2009/10 rod licences are now available at all Post Offices in England, Wales and the Border Esk region of Scotland; online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fish; over the phone on 0844 800 5386 and by direct debit.
