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£5,500 in fines after nine anglers are caught fishing without rod licences (6 April 2017)

Date: 06/04/2017
Duncan Lewis, Crime Solicitors, £5,500 in fines after nine anglers are caught fishing without rod licences

The Environment Agency has prosecuted nine anglers caught without a rod licence, who were handed a total of £5,500 in fines.

The prosecutions come just one month after eight illegal anglers were prosecuted in Staffordshire.

On 20 March, North Staffordshire Justice Centre Magistrates’ Court heard how the nine anglers were caught fishing illegally in summer 2016.

Connor Grey of Oak Grove in Cheadle, Nicholas Mills of Neale Place in Stoke on Trent, Samuel Smith of Moston Street in Stoke on Trent, Ashley Gould of Thornewill Drive in Burton on Trent, Stephen Clarke of Sandwood Crescent in Stoke on Trent, Ashley Taylor of Birches Head Road in Stoke, David Pickerill of Hoveringham Drive in Stoke on Trent, Michael Horton of Chapel Drive in Walsall and Ryan Marriette of Skipton Road in Liverpool were all found fishing illegally in August and September 2016.

Environment Agency enforcement officers found the anglers fishing without a rod licence at pools in Stafford, Cannock, Burntwood, Leek, Newcastle under Lyme and Burton.

All nine were caught by Environment Agency officers out on regular patrols.

Out of the nine, six anglers pleaded guilty for fishing without a licence under Section 27(1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. Fines were, however, much higher for those who did not submit a plea and did not appear in court.

After sentencing, Andrew Eardley of the Environment Agency said:

“The majority of anglers fish legally and purchase a rod licence – with anglers now being able to buy a licence online for a number of rods to cover any 12- month period, it seems ridiculous the minority still risk a significant fine like these we’ve seen here.

“The minority of anglers that fail to buy a rod licence are cheating their fellow anglers and the future of the sport.Fishing licence cheats risk a criminal conviction, a significant fine – and could lose their fishing equipment.

“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.

“Rod licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing and to encourage participation in the sport.”


A valid Environment Agency Rod Licence is required to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England – and licences can be bought online at GOV UK.

Duncan Lewis Criminal Solicitors – Environmental Offences

Duncan Lewis Criminal Solicitors can advise companies and individuals at any stage of an environmental offence, including charges relating to polluting watercourses, fisheries offences, fly tipping, waste carrier offences, failing to manage hazardous waste, air pollution, noise pollution, or misuse of permitted land.

There are Duncan Lewis offices across England and Wales and in most major cities – and a Duncan Lewis criminal defence solicitor can advise at the start of an investigation by the Environment Agency or local authority and before charges are brought.

For expert legal advice on all environmental offences, call Duncan Lewis criminal solicitors on 0333 772 0409.


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