Nearly 350 illegal anglers were successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency for rod fishing licence offences in May 2005, representing a 30% drop compared to the 504 successful prosecutions in April.
The total number of successful prosecutions for the month totalled 342. Fines totalled £22,001 with costs of £20,370 awarded to the Environment Agency, making the average cost of an illegal fishing trip for May around £124. In April, however, fines totalled £30, 275 with costs awarded to the Environment Agency of £31, 680.
The highest fine for May was £500 imposed on an illegal angler prosecuted at Carlisle Magistrates court for fishing for Salmon without a valid rod licence on the River Eden. Regionally, the highest number of successful prosecutions occurred in the Thames region, which saw almost 160 successful cases concluded in the four-week period.
Dafydd Evans, the Environment Agency's Head of Fisheries said 'It is good news that our enforcement officers on the banks are continuing to catch illegal anglers - they are out there and we will prosecute people caught fishing without a licence.
Rod licence fees are essential in improving and maintaining the standard of fisheries in England and Wales for all those who use them, which is why we have this programme of enforcement.'
'Some anglers, however, do still choose to play unfairly and cheat honest anglers out of valuable resource for fisheries across England and Wales. Those who fish without a licence face tough penalties including fines of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing.'
Buying a licence couldn't be easier - there are around 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets which sell them direct; and for a small additional charge they can be purchased over the phone (0870 1662662) or from our web site - www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rodlicence.
