Walsall man without fishing licence in court
A fishing trip cost a Walsall man almost £600 after he was caught without a licence and then failed to give his name and address to an officer.
Phillip Hollyman, 29, of Clockmill Road, was found guilty in his absence at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday for fishing without a licence at Aldridge Marina, on June, 15, 2018.
A charge that he failed to give his name and address to an Environment Agency officer, water bailiff or police officer when requested to do so, was also proved.
Magistrates fined him £440 in total, and imposed costs of £127.47 and a victim surcharge of £30.
A spokesman from the Environment Agency said: “An annual fishing licence costs just £30, yet a small number of anglers continue to flout the law and risk prosecution for fishing without a licence and breaching byelaws in place to protect fish stocks.
"It’s important anglers have a licence before fishing; the money from licences is invested into England’s fisheries and rivers; improving the sport of angling. Anglers should also ensure that they are familiar with our byelaws, which are available on the Environment Agency web pages."
Environment Agency officers are out checking licences and byelaw compliance regularly throughout the year.
A licence costs £30 and lasts for 12 months from the day it is purchased, and becomes valid around 30 minutes after buying online.
Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring fish stocks through re-stocking, eradicating invasive species and fish habitat improvements.
Fishing licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing, to encourage participation in the sport and to manage a voluntary bailiff scheme.
Children under 13 fish for free. Anyone aged 13 to 16 also fish for free, but they do need to have a valid Environment Agency fishing licence.
Anyone over 16 must pay for an Environment Agency fishing licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England.
Anyone witnessing illegal fishing can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline, 0800 80 70 60.
Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
