ENVIRONMENT AGENCY NEWS RELEASE
Bailiffs from the Environment Agency will be out in force over the 2009 Easter weekend (10-13 April), visiting rivers across England and Wales to check that anglers are not river fishing in the close season and those fishing on still waters have valid rod licences.
The close season lasts from 15 March to 15 June inclusive each year in order to protect fish during breeding times. It applies to all rivers, streams and drains in England and Wales, but does not apply to most still-waters and canals.
Anglers on those waters still need valid rod licences, must use legal methods of fishing and must have the permission of the landowner. Anglers must be able to produce their licence when requested by an Environment Agency bailiff or other authorised person and anyone fishing without a rod licence will have their details recorded and may be prosecuted up to £2,500.
Mat Crocker, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency said:
“During this period there are still plenty of opportunities to fish on still waters and lots of anglers will be out on the bank. Just make sure that you have your new rod licence ready to show the bailiffs or you could be facing an unwelcome Easter fine.”
Last year, Environment Agency bailiffs checked more than 139,000 anglers’ licences and the good news was that over 96% checked were fishing with a valid licence. However, 4846 offence notices were still issued.
Anyone 12 years old or over who wants to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish and eels in England and Wales and the Border Esk in Scotland requires a licence from the Environment Agency. By the end of the close season all anglers need to have bought a new style rod licence, launched this year. Licences run from 1 April to 31 March and two licences are required if an angler is using three or four rods.
The Environment Agency has switched to a membership card style licence, replacing the old-fashioned paper version, which has seen few style changes since it was introduced in the 1860s. The credit card sized licences are now water resistant – helpful for anglers – and feature fewer personal details on them, to reduce the risk of identity theft. They also sport a barcode, making it possible to verify licences on the riverbank. The changes will also make the rod licence cheaper to administer, freeing up more licence money for fisheries improvement works.
“Angling is more popular than ever, and we expect to see even more anglers on the banks in 2009, as people tighten their belts and look for credit crunch-friendly entertainment,” said Mat.
“It’s encouraging to see that the majority of anglers in England and Wales are buying rod licences, but this doesn’t mean we can become complacent. We put all the money we make from rod licences back into fisheries and angling facilities, so the people who don’t buy licences are just cheating their sport and fellow anglers.”
“This year we are also looking at remote sites where anglers think we won’t find them. Be aware we have extensive local knowledge and regularly get tip-offs via our 24 hour 0800 807060 hotline.”
Angling has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last two decades, with licence sales hitting a ten year high in 2008 and predicted to increase by a further 26,000 this year. Environment Agency research recently showed that freshwater angling in England and Wales generates around £1 billion to the UK economy every year. Better water quality in the country’s rivers, as well as improved habitats, have helped boost fish stocks for the sport. To supplement this, the Environment Agency’s fish farms puts more than 300,000 fish into rivers each year, to create new fisheries, to enhance angling at popular fishing spots and to re-populate rivers after pollution incidents.
