Nearly a dozen anglers caught fishing without licences or during the closed season have received hefty fines for their crimes.
Eleven men were sentenced at Swindon magistrates’ court on January 8 for illegal fishing practices, paying a total of £4,135 between them.
The punishment serves as a reminder to anglers of the danger of fishing without a licence, despite recent figures showing that successful prosecutions dropped from 762 in 2021/22 to just 265 in 2022/23.
“We will always prosecute those caught cheating the system,” said EA fisheries office James Allan.
“Money raised by licence sales benefits anglers. Those fined disregarded signs at fisheries that said an EA licence was required. For failing to comply with these byelaws, you could face prosecution and be fined up to £2,500.”
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