Mansfield man among trio of anglers fined a total of £660 for fishing illegally

They appeared at Northampton Magistrates Court in cases brought by the Environment Agency on Monday, September 23.

Among the three men was David Thompson, 45, of Laurel Avenue, Forest Town, Mansfield, who was found guilty in absence of fishing without a licence at A1 Fishery (South Muskham), Newark on March 29. He was fined £220 and ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £88.

The other two men were also fined £220 and ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £88.

The annual close season, from March 15, to June 15, prevents fishing for coarse fish in rivers and streams across England, helping to protect fish when they are spawning and supporting vulnerable stocks.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We hope the penalties these illegal anglers have received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws 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.

“We urge anglers to respect the close season to help reduce pressures on our fisheries, benefitting fish and the wider environment.

“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 one-day licence costs from just £7.10, and an annual licence costs from £35.80 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13 to 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.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807 060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.