- Fishing in the close season resulted in penalties totalling £1,502 for angling duo
- The penalties included fines for fishing without a licence
- Environment Agency fisheries enforcement officers worked with fishing club bailiff and Derbyshire Police to land the result
A call about illegal fishing on the River Wye in the Peak District made to the Derbyshire Police Rural Crime team has led to a penalty of £1,502 for two friends from Liverpool and St. Helens.
A Cressbrook and Litton Flyfishers Club bailiff alerted the police when he spotted the two men fishing for trout in the close season. The police got in touch with an Environment Agency's fisheries enforcement officer to discover they were also fishing without a valid rod licence.
The pair have landed themselves with penalties of £751 each 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.
James Barton, 30, and Aaron Rhami, 26 were found to be fishing on 11 March 2023.
Their cases were brought to Northampton Magistrates Court by the Environment Agency on 25 September 2023, where James Barton, of Lincoln Street, Liverpool and Aaron Rhami, of St Helens Road, St Helens were found guilty in absence to the offences of fishing in the close season and without a rod licence.
The men each received a fine of £220 for each offence, as well as costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £176.
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, the East Midlands Fisheries Enforcement Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said:
"A day out fishing in the close season and without a rod licence has 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 East 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 www.gov.uk/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.
