Anglers catch half-a-dozen fines for fishing without a licence
Six anglers in Yorkshire and the North East have been fined hundreds of pounds for fishing illegally on separate occasions this year.
Half-a-dozen people have been caught fishing illegally and ordered to pay a total of £2,240 in penalties
Their cases were brought by the Environment Agency to Hull Magistrates Court on 29th June 2023.
Jordan Martin Meredith Davies (31), of Granville Court, Walmer was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Bothal on the River Wansbeck, Morpeth on 8th February 2023.
Mr Davies was also found guilty of a number of other offences including using more than one rod and line when fishing for salmonids, fishing for trout in the close season and leaving a rod and line with its bait or hook unattended. He was proven guilty in absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £555. The penalty includes a fine of £300, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £120.
In a separate case Paul Mountford (39), of Prospect Walk, Camblesforth, Selby was proved guilty of fishing without a licence at Newhay Lakes, Selby on 18th February 2023. He was ordered to pay a total penalty of £443, including a fine of £220, costs of £135, and a victim surcharge of £88.
Ethan Jones (21), of Dodthorpe, Hull was found guilty of fishing without a licence and fishing during the coarse fish close season at Beverley Beck End on the River Hull on 21st March 2023. He was ordered to pay a total penalty of £443, including a fine of £220, costs of £135, and a victim surcharge of £88.
Caitlin Sakacs (31), of Thompson Avenue, Bradford pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Birkwood Fisheries Normanton on 12th February 2023 and ordered to pay a total penalty of £240, including a fine of £100, costs of £100, and a victim surcharge of £40.
Paul Cintos (24), of Edgware Place, Leeds was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Birkwood Fisheries Normanton on 12th February 2023 and ordered to pay a total penalty of £443, including a fine of £220, costs of £135, and a victim surcharge of £88.
Vasile Amarioarei (51), from Balby Road, Doncaster pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Hexthorpe near the River Don on 12th February 2023. He was ordered to pay a total penalty of £116, including a fine of £40, costs of £60, and a victim surcharge of £16.
Paul Caygill, Environment Agency Fisheries Enforcement Officer, said
We hope the penalties received by these illegal anglers will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.
The cases show how seriously the courts take these offences and the anglers have been rightly punished for the illegal fishing they undertook. They could have bought a 1-day rod licence to fish for just £6.60 or an annual licence for £33 and avoided both the fine and court process.
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 anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.
The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. In 2021 to 2022, fisheries enforcement officers checked just over 41,000 fishing licences and successfully prosecuted nearly 730 anglers for fishing without a licence.
Buy a fishing licence
Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water must purchase a fishing licence to fish in England and Wales. Annual licences start from £33 and can be purchased online or by phone, more information can be found here. You can buy a 1-day, 8-day or 12-month licence online, with the added benefit of the option to have a digital licence, saving postage costs and allowing more money to be spent on fisheries.
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.