Three anglers receive penalties for fishing without a rod licence
Fishing without a licence last summer has cost 3 men total penalties of £1,275.
Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of anglers
Their cases were brought by the Environment Agency to Swindon Magistrates Court on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Teejay France of Treharris, South Wales, and Nadeem Albaydany, of Bournemouth, were found guilty of fishing without a licence at Coking Farm, Henstridge, near Gillingham, Dorset, on 2 July 2022. Each was proved guilty in absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £443. The penalties for both men include a fine of £220, costs of £135 and victim surcharge of £88.
In a separate case George Cooper, of Ringwood, was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Hightown Lake, Ringwood, Hampshire, on 31 May 2022. He was proved guilty in absence and ordered to pay a total penalty of £389. The penalty includes a fine of £220, costs of £135, and victim surcharge of £34.
Following the case, the local Fisheries Enforcement Officer at the Environment Agency, said:
These anglers have been rightly punished for the illegal fishing they undertook last summer. They could have bought a 1-day rod licence to fish for just £6.
We hope the penalties received by the illegal anglers 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, 7 days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing.
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.
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, and an annual licence currently costs from just £30 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13 to 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.
Background
Teejay France was charged with the following offence:
On 2 July 2022 at Coking Farm, Henstridge in a place where fishing is regulated fished for freshwater fish or eels by means of an unlicensed fishing instrument, namely rod and line Contrary to Section 27 (1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.
Nadeem Albaydany was charged with the following offence:
On 2 July at Coking Farm, Henstridge, in a place where fishing is regulated fished for freshwater fish or eels by means of an unlicensed fishing instrument, namely rod and line. Contrary to Section 27 (1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.
George Cooper was charged with the following offence:
On 31 May 2022 at Hightown Lake, Ringwood, in a place where fishing is regulated fished for freshwater fish or eels by means of an unlicensed fishing instrument, namely rod and line. Contrary to Section 27 (1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.