WIREDGOV

Callum Cornish and Bradley Wiltshire were caught during routine rod licence checks at Newton Park Lake in Bath on 6 September, 2015. They were both ordered to pay £457 in fines and costs by Bath magistrates on Monday, 11 April, 2016, after being found guilty of fishing without a valid licence.

Cornish, 68, of Shaws Way, Bath and Wiltshire, 20, of Cameley Green, Bath did not appear in court and were sentenced in their absence after being convicted of an offence under Section 27(1) (a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.

Sarah Chare, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said:

All money raised through rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries benefiting anglers.

A rod licence is a legal requirement for fishing. It costs £27 for a licence for coarse fishing and non-migratory trout or £72 if you also fish for salmon and sea trout. Anglers can buy a licence for the full season, a 1 day licence or an 8 day licence.

You can purchase a licence online from the Post Office or at your local Post Office. Alternatively, phone 0344 800 5386. Buying a rod licence online from the Post Office website is easier as it saves both time and administration costs, meaning that more money can be spent on improving fish stocks and fishing.

Anyone fishing illegally is cheating other licence paying anglers and can expect to be prosecuted if they are caught. In 2014/15 the Environment Agency checked 70,000 rod licences and prosecuted more than 2,000 anglers for fishing without a licence resulting in more than £500,000 in fines and costs.