Fishing without a licence proves costly for angler

Paul Partridge, of Hall Broome Gardens in Bolton-upon-Dearne, was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Stubbs Hall in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, on May 22 last year.

Partridge was ordered to pay £389 by Hull and Holderness Magistrates’ Court — made up of a fine of £220, costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.

Four other men, who are from from Bridlington, Pontefract, Selby and Wakefield, received fines totalling £1,465 for fishing without a licence.

Paul Caygill, environment agency fisheries enforcement officer, said he hoped the fines would act as a deterrent.

“These five anglers have been rightly punished for the illegal fishing they undertook last summer, and the cases show how seriously the courts take these offences,” Mr Caygill.

“We hope the penalties received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and bylaws we have in place across England.

“Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.  

“Money raised from licence sales is reinvested back into the sport and, for those caught cheating the system, we will not hesitate to prosecute.”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said the men could have avoided the fine had they paid an annual fishing licence of £30 each, or £6 for a single day fishing licence.

“Fishing illegally with a rod and line can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized,” they added.

“We carry out enforcement work all year round which is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust.

“Fisheries enforcement work is funded by income generated from rod licences sales and is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

“Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, stream, drain, canal or still water needs a licence to fish.”

You can buy a licence at https://tinyurl.com/fishing-licence.