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Pair caught fishing illegally land over £1200 in fines and costs

30/11/2018

Environment Agency officer checking fishing licences

A fishing trip cost two Wolverhampton men more than £600 each, after they were caught without a licence and illegally removing fish.
Dumitru Stancu, (24) and Adrian Diaconescu (21), both of

Newhampton Road West, Wolverhampton, were found guilty in their absence at Telford Magistrates’ Court on 26 November for using an unlicensed fishing rod and line on the Shropshire Union Canal in Telford and for contravening a national byelaw of removing fish without permission, on 3 June 2018. Both men were fined £440 and each ordered to pay costs of £127, plus a £44 victim surcharge.

A spokesperson from the Environment Agency said: An annual fishing licence costs just £30, yet a small number of anglers continue to flout the law and risk prosecution for fishing without a licence and breaching byelaws in place to protect fish stocks.

It’s important anglers have a licence before fishing; the money from licences is invested into England’s fisheries and rivers; improving the sport of angling. Anglers should also ensure that they are familiar with our byelaws, which are available on the Environment Agency web pages.

Environment Agency officers are out checking licences and byelaw compliance regularly throughout the year. A licence costs just £30 and lasts for 12 months from the day it is purchased, and becomes valid around 30 minutes after buying online.

Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including; protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring fish stocks through re-stocking, eradicating invasive species and fish habitat improvements. Fishing licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing, to encourage participation in the sport and to manage a voluntary bailiff scheme.

Children aged 12 and under can fish for free without a licence. Anyone aged 13 to 16 also fish for free, but does need to have a valid Environment Agency fishing licence. Anyone over 16 must pay for an Environment Agency fishing licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England.
Anyone witnessing illegal fishing can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline, 0800 80 70 60. Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Neighbourhood Watch scheme launched on West Midlands canals

28/11/2018

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The Canal & Angling Trust have joined forces with the West Midlands police to launch a new neighbourhood watch scheme on the region’s historic canal network.

With more and more people working and living by the water, the Canal Watch scheme aims to promote a sense of community and encourage people to help ensure waterways remain safe and enjoyable places.

Peter Mathews CMG, chair of the Canal & River Trust’s West Midlands Waterways Partnership, explains; “One of the attractions of our wonderful waterways is that they’re quiet, tranquil places where you can escape the bustle of everyday life. However while we want people to enjoy the peace we don’t want them to feel isolated or vulnerable and that’s where this scheme comes in. We want to address any misconceptions and reassure people that our waterways are safe and welcoming.

Waterways are safe and welcoming

“With Canal Watch we want to make the fantastic sense of community that already exists on our waterways more visible. We want to show people that collectively those living and working on the waterways, the local police and other stakeholder groups are working together to share information and keep people and property safe.”

Under the scheme people living by the water, boaters and waterside businesses can sign up for police updates and free crime prevention advice.

Fantastic sense of community

Local community groups, businesses and organisations will also be encouraged to build closer links with each other and work together to make sure the waterways remain welcoming places. As well as receiving information people will be encouraged to report and share any suspicious activity so that action can be taken.

Leaflets and stickers will be distributed to local people, boaters and businesses with signage also being displayed across the region’s waterways. Forensic marking kits will also be handed out to boaters enabling their valuables to be traced if needed.

Inspector Imran Mirza said: “The Canal Watch scheme is a free initiative where West Midlands Police will work with various partner agencies across the region to promote safety and send key messages through the WMNow community messaging system. This will help boaters to keep their marine equipment secure and ensure that their journey across the waterways is as safe as possible.

“The scheme isn’t just focussed on boaters however, WMNow will ensure that anyone living or working beside the water is kept up to date and informed.

“By working together and communicating with each other better we can deal with the issues focusing on long term problem solving but also promoting early intervention and prevention.”

A Canal Watch option has been added to WMNow, the new West Midlands Police messaging tool that allows communities to be kept up to date with what is happening in their areas.

The scheme is initially being rolled out in the West Midlands Police region but it is hoped that it could also be introduced in other parts of the country.

To receive messages and crime prevention information, create an account at www.wmnow.co.uk.

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Birmingham Anglers Association subscriptions frozen again for 2019

19/11/2018

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BAA subscriptions frozen again for 2019

As a result of continuing healthy finances, the BAA is pleased to be able to hold membership rates for 2019, unchanged since 2015.

2019 membership covers the period 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019,

irrespective of when you buy it, so go on don't wait until the middle of 2019, buy it now and get a full years access to our waters.

If you buy it before the end of 2018, you can also use it during the remainder of this year.

A car sticker will also be included with your membership card.

Full Membership
(Adult Male / Female of 17 years and under 65 years) £40.00

Senior Membership
(Adult Male / Female of 65 years or more) £30.00

Junior Membership
(Child of 10 years and under 17 years) £15.00

Family Membership
(Husband, Wife or partner, two children under 17 years)* £80.00

Infant Membership
(Child under 10 years) £2.00

Non-Fishing Membership
(Male / Female of any age, allowed to be present at Association waters but not allowed to fish)** £5.00

To get your memebrship go to https://www.baa.uk.com

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Drowning verdict for popular lure fishing ace

16/11/2018

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The tragic drowning of Lukasz Lesniacki stunned lure fishing fans around the country, and across Europe.
Lukasz ran the Birmingham-based firm UK-Lures.
He had helped organise a lure match on the Coventry Canal

for pregnant Jamie Fairbrother after her partner, Liam, drowned earlier this year on the Tamworth Canal.

The inquest into Lukasz’s death heard how the 30-year-old couldn’t be saved by pal Bartosz Jawor in the freezing conditions at Llandudno in North Wales back in May.

In a statement read at the hearing in Ruthin, Bartosz said the sea was calm and his friend found a spot on the rocks at Pigeon Cove.

Bartosz revealed: “It was quite slippery and Lucasz tried to slide lower down to get nearer the sea.

“I am a reasonable swimmer but the water was cold and I quickly became exhausted,” he said.

Lukasz was airlifted to hospital but was quickly pronounced dead at arrival.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as drowning, with a head injury as a contributory cause.

Polish born Lukasz was married to Magda and they had a three-month-old boy at the time of his death.

Joanne Lees, assistant coroner, recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

A spokesman for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute said: “Our advice for rock anglers is always wear a lifejacket and carry a means of calling for help, such as a portable VHF radio.”

Figures from the National Water Safety Forum show that ten anglers drowned in 2017, seven were in the sea and three at inland waters.

And between 2011 and 2015, 50 anglers lost their lives while fishing around the UK coast. The majority of these fatalities were shore anglers, fishing from exposed areas.

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Angling Trust Building Bridges Project

14/11/2018

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British anglers have been incensed when valuable fish have been killed in England for the pot by Eastern European anglers – but information concerning British angling law and rules can be hard to find for people newly arrived in this country.

The ‘Building Bridges’ Project, therefore, provides a facility to educate and integrate migrant anglers, and is an important component of our police-based enforcement strategy. Building Bridges is a component part of the Fisheries Enforcement Support Service.

The Angling Trust has fully researched angling in Eastern Europe, visiting Poland and Lithuania to learn about angling law and rules in addition to setting up working partnerships with government ministers and enforcement agencies. This has helped provide information on British angling in those countries, and are supported by the Lithuanian and Polish Ambassadors, and Daniel Kawczynski MP, the British Prime Minister’s Envoy on Polish & Eastern European Diaspora in the UK. For more information, please see:

https://linesonthewater.anglingtrust.net/2014/07/16/glocks-and-kalashnikovs-fisheries-enforcement-polish-style/

https://linesonthewater.anglingtrust.net/2015/08/13/enforcement-mission-to-lithuania/

https://linesonthewater.anglingtrust.net/2015/02/09/taking-our-issues-to-westminster/

https://linesonthewater.anglingtrust.net/2016/07/21/building-bridges-on-the-nene/

At ‘grass roots’ level, our Building Bridges staff can help British angling clubs by translating their rules into different languages and providing multi-lingual signage – it is important to understand that not everyone responds to education, so prosecution, therefore, may be the only option; ensuring that there is no excuse for rule-breaking is an essential part of the evidence required – which is another reason we provide multi-lingual signage and information.

There staff engage with migrant communities, including schools, spreading the word and encouraging other ex-patriots to join British clubs and fish by the rules. Importantly, Building Bridges staff will also work with angling clubs to host integrated angling events. Building Bridges staff also contribute to Voluntary Bailiff Service training and Fisheries Enforcement Workshops, providing an always well received and thought-provoking presentation.

Any angling clubs requiring further information regarding or assistance from Building Bridges, should contact Project Manager and founder Rado Papiewski: radoslaw.papiewski@anglingtrust.net or 0752 779925.

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ANGLING LEGEND JOHN WILSON DIES AGED 75

13/11/2018

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Anglers and non-anglers alike are mourning the news that John Wilson MBE has died. TV's Mr Angling John died following a stroke at his home in Thailand. Tributes were being paid from far and wide as the news of John’s death was made public on November 14, 2018, a day after he so sadly died, aged 75.

True all-rounder John was an absolute inspiration, with a trademark jolly laugh and a clutch of personal catchphrases …

'Oh hello we're in', 'Careful Wilson', 'Come to Johnny' 'Oh its not as big as i thought!', 'What a lovely looking fish!!!' 'A real beautiful fish', 'Lets put it back straight away', 'Super fish!'

Born in 1943 in Enfield, North London, John first got interested in fish as a young boy by netting sticklebacks and other small fry. He moved on to basic tackle to catch a mix of small fish, visiting local streams, then heading to the River Lea to grow his skills, especially for roach.

He worked in hairdressing, the merchant navy, and printing too, before becoming a fishing tackle dealer in 1971 in Norwich, Norfolk. East Anglia had impressed him immensely after a productive fishing trip to the River Waveney.

He lived near Norwich for over 40 years, and enjoyed a long and hugely successful career in media, most famously the Channel 4 TV series Go Fishing.

John Wilson brought angling to the masses through his globe-trotting TV shows, and he also inspired anglers via his many books and articles. The epic big fish action that he tasted in Thailand, eventually, had a similar pull on him. It was there that John died, after ‘living the dream’ with his wife Jo, beside their own special lake.

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THE BIG ONE FISHING SHOWS 2019

5/11/2018

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Get ready for the biggest and best fishing shows of 2019. The Big One Farnborough, South - 23rd and 24th March 2019 and the NEW show -The Big One at the NAEC Stoneleigh, in the Midlands -13th and 14th April 2019.

Both shows will feature amazing shopping deals with the biggest and best brands in fishing and unmissable fishing stars giving loads of advice. Early Bird tickets and VIP tickets are on sale now! https://thebigoneshow.seetickets.com/content/ticket-options

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Pair caught fishing illegally land over £1200 in fines and costs

Neighbourhood Watch scheme launched on West Midlands canals

Birmingham Anglers Association subscriptions frozen again for 2019

Drowning verdict for popular lure fishing ace

Angling Trust Building Bridges Project

ANGLING LEGEND JOHN WILSON DIES AGED 75

THE BIG ONE FISHING SHOWS 2019

ANGLING News Articles

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