Illegal angler fined for fishing without a licence

Vasile Amarioarei (51), of Balby Road, Balby, was one of six anglers from across Yorkshire and the North East fined hundreds of pounds for fishing illegally.

Their cases were brought by the Environment Agency to Hull Magistrates Court on June 29.

Amarioarei pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Hexthorpe near the River Don on February 12.

He was ordered to pay a total penalty of £116, including a fine of £40, costs of £60, and a victim surcharge of £16.

The biggest fine went to 31-year-old Jordan Davies, of Kent, who picked up a £555 fine and was ordered to pay further costs and charges of £555 for illegal fishing and leaving his rod unattended at a spot in Northumberland.

Paul Caygill, Environment Agency fisheries enforcement officer, said: “We hope the penalties received by these illegal anglers will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and bye laws we have in place across England.

“The cases show how seriously the courts take these offences and the anglers have been rightly punished for the illegal fishing they undertook.

“They could have bought a one-day rod licence to fish for just £6.60 or an annual licence for £33 and avoided both the fine and court process.

“Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.  Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of anglers and, for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.”

In 2021 to 2022, fisheries enforcement officers checked just over 41,000 fishing licences and successfully prosecuted nearly 730 anglers for fishing without a licence.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water must purchase a fishing licence to fish in England and Wales.

Annual licences start from £33 and can be purchased online or by phone.Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.