May Bank Holiday sees 'no excuses' rod licence crackdown

More than 1,000 licence cheats are facing fines of up to £2,500 each following the most comprehensive fisheries blitz ever carried out by the Environment Agency (EA).

Officers approached 12,647 anglers and checked 1,021 waters as part of a massive Bank Holiday enforcement operation. The number of people reeled-in for fishing without a licence was twice that of last year’s blitz, according to the Agency. Anyone aged 12 years or over, who fishes for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, or eels in England or Wales must have an Environment Agency rod fishing licence.

Dr Dave Clarke, EA head of fisheries, said: "We have checked more licences, more waters and caught more cheats than in previous years. Dodgers made up an average 8.1 per cent of those quizzed compared to 6.5 per cent last year. This reflects a more targeted operation by our staff who visited waters known to have high levels of unlicensed anglers. Our message is clear – more cheats on our waters will be met by more enforcement operations and more prosecutions."

Dr Clarke added: "All money raised through licence sales is ploughed back into fisheries. We’ll continue to blitz waters because it’s clear some people refuse to accept their responsibility to the sport or their fellow anglers - so we’ll give them a chance to think about it in court." EA officers used a variety of tactics to collar dodgers during the latest blitz. In north east London, North Wales, East Anglia, Essex and south Kent, they targeted waters popular with evaders. The level of evasion at these venues was high, ranging from 9 to 35 per cent.

The Agency found owners of some of these waters even sold rod licences on the premises so there was no excuse for any angler who didn’t have one. Other fisheries teams spread their licence checking over a wide range of waters covering as many anglers as possible. In Yorkshire alone, officers visited more than 120 waters and saw 1,300 anglers.

Dr Clarke said: "Thanks to improved technology our officers now have remote access to our databases allowing them to verify anglers’ details without leaving the riverbank. The excuse ‘I left my licence at home’ only works now if the angler really has left it at home."

The blitz results coincide with the launch of the Agency’s annual Rod Licence Campaign. During the summer advertisements will run in newspapers and on radio and TV stations urging people to buy a licence or take up the sport. Dr Clarke declared: "It has never been easier to buy a licence. Direct Debit, online sales through the EA website, a telephone hotline, Post Offices and various fisheries all provide outlets. It’s not worth the embarrassment of being caught, the anger of other anglers, and the inconvenience of a court visit for the sake of a £22 rod licence."