Fishing without a licence has cost an angler from Stafford a fine of £220 plus £836.50 costs and a victim surcharge of £88.
- Angler appealed his original case and was found guilty in absence at the second hearing
- Fisheries enforcement officers clamp down on illegal angling to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable
John Smith from Stafford has been found guilty in absence at Cannock Magistrates Court of fishing without a licence in a case brought by the Environment Agency on Monday 16 December 2024.
The case was originally proved in absence on 30 August 2023. John Smith applied to have the case re-opened by Statutory Declaration and submitted a Not Guilty Plea. The defendant did not attend the trial, and the case was proved in absence.
John Smith, 60, of Young Avenue, Stafford was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Chorley Springs, Burntwood, Staffordshire on 23 April 2023. He was fined £220 and ordered to pay costs of £836.50 and a victim surcharge of £88.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:
We hope the penalty this illegal angler has received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws 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, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.
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 legal anglers.
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 £7.10, and an annual licence costs from £35.80 (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.
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
John Smith was charged with the following offence:
On the 23rd day of April 2023 at Chorley Springs, Burntwood, 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.
