As many anglers know, waiting for the closed season to pass can be torturous at times, but the vast majority understand the law and appreciate giving the river a rest.
However, some anglers, through ill judgment, disregard, or complete naivety to the law, find themselves fishing during the closed season.
Operation Clampdown (OCD) has been set up alongside the Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Support Service, with voluntary bailiffs (VBS) taking part in patrols around the UK on rivers, lakes, and canals that still uphold a closed season.
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The OCD 12 and the VBS conducted 5009 Patrols, reported 353 Incidents, volunteered 11879 hours, during the 3 months of the closed season in 2024 (March-June).
They conducted 106 Patrols with the EA, 66 Joint Patrols with the EA and Police and 21 patrols just with the police. Making a total 193 Joint agency patrols.
In total, The Environment Agency carried out 933 patrols and issued offence reports against 106 suspected offenders - with the most offenders in the East Anglia and Yorkshire areas, making it a great success in preventing out-of-season fishing.
The service is carried out all over the UK with voluntary bailiffs such as Mervyn Beal, who joined the Voluntary Bailiff Service in 2023, has undertaken patrols across Devon & Cornwall this quarter.
Mervyn patrolled various venues in the surrounding area such as Tamar Lakes, Bideford & District Angling waters as well as the Exeter Canal, all whilst accompanied by Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Crime Team.
This shows the huge involvement of people willing to volunteer their time to help improve the policing of our fisheries.
If you want to keep in touch or get involved with any of the work the Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Support Service do, you can: find out more here.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PAIR OF THE BEST FISHING BOOTS IF YOU LIKE TO DO A LOT OF WALKING WHEN FISHING!
