- Fishing without a licence and in the close season has cost an angler from Stafford a total penalty of £555
- His friend received a total penalty of £443 for fishing in the close season
- Fisheries enforcement officers clamp down on illegal angling to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable
The anglers' cases were brought by the Environment Agency to Northampton Magistrates Court on Monday 23 October.
One of the friends, Liam Davidson, 26, of Milton Grove, Stafford, was proved guilty in absence of fishing in the close season at Doxey Marshes, Stafford on 27 May 2023. He was ordered to pay a total penalty of £443. The penalty includes a fine of £220, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £88.
Blake Keyte, 24, of Greensome Court, Stafford pleaded guilty of fishing in the close season and to fishing without a licence at Doxey Marshes on 27 May 2023. He was ordered to pay fines of £150 for each offence, £135 costs, and a victim surcharge of £88, to make a total penalty of £555.
An annual fishing licence currently costs from £33. The coarse fish close season runs from 15 March until 15 June each year.
Following the verdict, a spokesperson at the Environment Agency, said:
"We hope the penalties that these illegal anglers have received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.
"Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized. We inspect rod licences 24/7, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.
"Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency's efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable. Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of legal anglers."
Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence to fish. A 1-day licence costs from just £6.60, and an annual licence costs from £33 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13 - 16-year-olds.
Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.
Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
