The Environment Agency continues to prosecute illegal anglers Nearly 300 illegal anglers were prosecuted by the Environment Agency for rod fishing licence offences in June 2005.

The total number of successful prosecutions for the month totalled 276. Fines totalled £18,470 with costs of £17,683 awarded to the Environment Agency, making the average cost of an illegal fishing trip around £130.

One of the highest fines for June was £800 imposed on four illegal anglers caught fishing without a valid licence in Wales.

The highest number of successful prosecutions occurred in Thames, which saw over 60 successful cases concluded in the four-week period.

The month of July saw a 23% drop in prosecutions with 213 illegal anglers successfully prosecuted for rod fishing licence offences. Fines for July totalled £14,759 with costs of £13,075 to Environment Agency.

Dafydd Evans, the Environment Agency’s Head of Fisheries said: “Rod licence fees are essential in improving and maintaining the standard of fisheries in England and Wales for all those who use them, which is why we have this programme of enforcement.

“It seems amazing that some anglers still choose to play unfairly and cheat They are cheating honest anglers out of valuable resource for fisheries across England and Wales.”

Those who fish without a licence face tough penalties including fines of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing.

Buying a licence couldn’t be easier – there are around 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets which sell them direct; and for a small additional charge they can be purchased over the phone (0870 1662662) or from the EA web site.