Rod licences will still be available from every Post Office® in England and Wales, following the Environment Agency’s decision to renew the existing contract with Post Office Ltd until 2014.

“After a robust competition lasting nearly a year, we believe the Post Office offers the most cost-effective, accessible and efficient service available and is very good value for money,” explained Environment Agency Head of Fisheries Dafydd Evans.

“The income from rod licences is vital to our work, whether it is maintaining and improving healthy fish stocks or increasing the number of people who go fishing. This new contract with Post Office Ltd means there will be more money to spend on fishing; something all anglers will be happy about.”

The new contract starts in March 2009 and means Post Office Ltd will manage the sale of rod licences over the Post Office counter and over the telephone, and online via the Post Office website.

“We are delighted to renew this important contract which will allow anglers convenient access to rod licences via Post Office branches, a telephone line which we manage and, from 2009, our website,” added Head of Government Services at Post Office Ltd Kevin Seller.

“We want to retain and win as much business as we can to attract as many customers as possible, so that we can create a sustainable branch network. It is essential that we continue to be the access point for a range of Government services while we also successfully develop new competitively priced financial products and services.”