Post by Hoppy on Apr 20, 2006 15:34:25 GMT -1
NET CLOSES IN ON ILLEGAL ANGLERS IN HAMPSHIRE
Illegal anglers in Hampshire will have nowhere to run and hide over the May holiday weekend as the Environment Agency cracks down on people fishing without a valid rod licence.
The net will soon close in on those who fish illegally, as enforcement teams will be stepping up their regular checks on waters across the region.
Rob Waring, Environment Agency Fisheries Team Leader for Hampshire, said: “Anglers must ensure they have a valid licence before they start fishing or face the prospect of prosecution. Fishing without a licence is an offence and anyone caught fishing illegally can expect to face tough penalties, including a fine of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing.
“Licence dodgers are also cheating fellow anglers and the future of angling, as money raised by rod licence sales goes straight back into fisheries.
“Last year, we invested £29 million on our national fisheries, with £19 million of this coming from rod licence fees. Work including disease detection and prevention, enforcement of illegal fish movements, developing angling opportunities and facilities and audit of foreign species is all funded by rod licence revenue.
“Locally we carried out improvements to a number of fisheries in Hampshire, including Cromarty Pond in Southampton. Several fisheries are earmarked for further improvements this year. The money is also used to introduce new anglers to the sport, and last year we coached over 1,000 new anglers with the help of the National Federation of Anglers.
“Over 12,000 people were checked over the May Bank Holiday last year with almost 900 offences reported. We are anticipating that even more staff will be out checking licences this year. So our message is - get a rod licence, or get caught.”
Buying a licence couldn’t be easier - there are around 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets that 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/fish
Illegal anglers in Hampshire will have nowhere to run and hide over the May holiday weekend as the Environment Agency cracks down on people fishing without a valid rod licence.
The net will soon close in on those who fish illegally, as enforcement teams will be stepping up their regular checks on waters across the region.
Rob Waring, Environment Agency Fisheries Team Leader for Hampshire, said: “Anglers must ensure they have a valid licence before they start fishing or face the prospect of prosecution. Fishing without a licence is an offence and anyone caught fishing illegally can expect to face tough penalties, including a fine of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing.
“Licence dodgers are also cheating fellow anglers and the future of angling, as money raised by rod licence sales goes straight back into fisheries.
“Last year, we invested £29 million on our national fisheries, with £19 million of this coming from rod licence fees. Work including disease detection and prevention, enforcement of illegal fish movements, developing angling opportunities and facilities and audit of foreign species is all funded by rod licence revenue.
“Locally we carried out improvements to a number of fisheries in Hampshire, including Cromarty Pond in Southampton. Several fisheries are earmarked for further improvements this year. The money is also used to introduce new anglers to the sport, and last year we coached over 1,000 new anglers with the help of the National Federation of Anglers.
“Over 12,000 people were checked over the May Bank Holiday last year with almost 900 offences reported. We are anticipating that even more staff will be out checking licences this year. So our message is - get a rod licence, or get caught.”
Buying a licence couldn’t be easier - there are around 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets that 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/fish