The EA has commissioned top wildlife artist David Miller to produce three new artworks of fish in their natural environment for the new angling licences for the 2017-2018 season.
The three images, pictured above and below, show representations of salmon (Salmo salar), mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in their natural habitats.
The EA is timing their release with the launch of a Get a Fishing Licence campaign on GOV.UK to simplify the process of buying a fishing licence: see www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence .
Other new additions to the rod licence world include:
• Free licences for junior anglers, up to the age of 17
• Your fishing licence now lasts for 12 months from the day it is bought, rather than expiring at the end of March each year
• The use of three rods now needs just one licence, rather than two (the carp one).
People are required to buy a fishing licence in order to fish legally in England, Wales and along the Border Esk in Scotland. Sales of licences for the 2015/16 season raised £21 million. The money was used to restock rivers with 452,220 coarse fish, encourage over 35,000 people to try angling for the first time and bring 2,043 successful prosecutions against crimes like poaching.
Artist David Miller said about his works: “I’m delighted to have provided the images for the fishing licences again this year, not only because it gave me the opportunity to paint three species for the first time but also because all the money raised goes back into supporting fisheries. Of the three I was particularly pleased with the brown trout, my favourite UK game fish, and one I love to fish for on small rivers and streams.”
Judy Proctor, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: “We hope David’s stunning images encourage people to give fishing a go. Angling creates over 37,000 full time jobs and generates over £1 billion for the UK economy, but at its heart it’s a much loved outdoor sport
connecting people with nature. We’ve listened to anglers’ concerns and improved the fishing licence to make the process of getting out and fishing legally simpler.”
People who don’t buy a fishing licence are not only cheating other anglers and the future of the sport but running the risk of criminal conviction and a fine. The Environment Agency urges anyone to report fisheries crime as quickly as possible by calling our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
For those who can’t access the internet, fishing licences can still be bought by phoning 0344 800 5386 or over the counter in the Post Office.
