TWO BROTHERS from Redditch have been prosecuted after illegally fishing without a licence in Evesham.
The pair – Liam Astley Morris, 19, and Joseph Astley Morris, 21, both of Kingsley Avenue – pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates Court to three counts of illegal fishing in cases brought by the Environment Agency.
Among the charges they pleaded guilty to were fishing in the close season, fishing without a licence and using an illegal bait at Cleeve Prior – River Avon, Evesham – on April 21.
Joseph Astley Morris received a fine of £87 as well as costs of £65 and a victim surcharge of £34. His brother, Liam received a fine of £40, costs of £65 and a victim surcharge of £16.
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.
Making fishing ‘sustainable’
Fisheries enforcement officers clamp down on illegal angling to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable
An Environment Agency (EA) spokesperson said: “These two brothers were not only fishing in the close season, but they were also fishing without a licence and using an illegal bait.
“We hope their prosecutions will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.
“We urge anglers to respect the close season to help reduce pressures on our fisheries, benefiting fish and the wider environment.”
They added illegal fishing undermined 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.”
Rod licences are inspected 24/7 to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, the EA will always prosecute.”
Who needs a fishing licence?
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 at: gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust.
Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.
Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can call the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
