Walsall angler fined for fishing without a licence
Anglers from Walsall, Evesham and Burton-upon-Trent have been found guilty for fishing offences in cases heard at Northampton Magistrates Court on Monday, January 13, 2025.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Ordered to pay a total of £443, Alex Jones, 40, of Jessie Road, Walsall, had two charges proved in his absence.
The fines were given for fishing without a licence at Foxhills Fishery, Great Barr, on July 14, 2023, and leaving a rod or line with its bait or hook unattended on the same date.
He was fined £220, costs of £135 and a victim’s surcharge of £88.
Two others were also fined, one from Evesham and another from Burton-upon-Trent.
Sebastian Kucharski, 36, of Cheltenham Road, Evesham, also had his case proved in his absence. He was caught fishing without a licence at Manor Farm Fishery, Evesham, on August 11, 2024.
He was fined £220, ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim’s surcharge of £88.
The third angler, Pavel Pavlov, 25, of Uxbridge Street, Burton-upon-Trent, was caught fishing illegally at Longford Fishery, Longford, on July 31, 2024.
He had his case proved in his absence and was fined £220, ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim’s surcharge of £88.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We hope the penalties these illegal anglers have received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws we have in place across England.
“Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500 and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized. We inspect rod licences 24/7, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.
“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 legal anglers.”
