- Fishing in the close season resulted in penalties totalling £790 for angling duo
- The penalties included fines for fishing without a licence
- Anglers reported during close season patrols
Two friends from Birmingham have landed themselves with penalties of a combined £790 for a day's fishing trip in the close season and fishing without a licence. A year's fishing licence would have cost from £33.
John Swali, 29, and Dale Taylor, 30, were found by Fisheries Enforcement Officers to be fishing on Lucy's Mill on the River Avon in Warwickshire on 7 May 2023.
Their cases were brought to Northampton Magistrates Court by the Environment Agency on 4 August 2023, where John Swali, of Hobson Road and Dale Taylor, of Dornton Road both pleaded guilty to the offences of fishing in the close season and without a rod licence.
John Swali received a penalty of £247, including a fine of £40 for each offence, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £32.
Dale Taylor received a penalty of £543, including a fine of £146 for each offence, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £116.
During the close season, the Environment Agency works with partners such as the Angling Trust's Voluntary Bailiff Service (VBS) to conduct patrols to ensure anglers respect the no fishing period. This year officers carried out nearly 500 patrols, reporting 89 anglers for offences and 171 other alleged breaches of fisheries legislation.
Following the verdict, Nichola Tomlinson, Fisheries Enforcement Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said:
"A day out fishing for these two anglers in the close season and without a rod licence led to high penalties for this pair of fishermen.
"The cases show how seriously the courts take these offences and we hope the high penalties will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence or in the close season.
"We inspect rod licences throughout the West Midlands and work 24/7, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing. For those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.
"All income from fishing licence sales is used to fund our work to protect and improve fish stocks, fisheries and the environment. This includes improving habitats for fish, reinvesting money back to facilities and clubs for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage more people to give fishing a go."
Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6.60 and an annual licence costs from just £33 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13 - 16-year-olds. Licences are available from Get A Fishing Licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays).
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.
Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized.
Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
