Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Support Service

29/10/2026

Make sure it is only the fish that are unexpectedly caught when you are out fishing.

Always have the landowners permission before you fish and get your rod licence here: https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence

Working together to tackle illegal fishing! 🎣

Our Fisheries Officers have been out across Cheshire alongside Cheshire Police Rural Crime Team, carrying out joint patrols in response to reports of suspected poaching and illegal fishing.

Offences such as unlawfully taking fish and fishing without permission from the fishery owner, angling club or landowner can fall under the Theft Act 1968. This is why working closely with our policing partners is so important.

By combining our powers, expertise and intelligence, we can take a joint approach to tackling fisheries crime, responding to reports and maintaining a visible presence on our waters.

Partnership working plays an important role in protecting our fisheries, and we’d like to thank Cheshire Police Rural Crime Team for their continued support. 👏🏼

📞 Seen something suspicious? If you witness suspected illegal fishing or fisheries - related offences, please report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

07/10/2026

Extraordinary achievement recognised for one of our finest volunteers.

Regional Enforcement Support Manager for the Midlands Kevin Pearson was proud to be present as one of his brilliant Enforcement Volunteers, and Area Coordinator for Warwickshire, Steve Lile received his 'Changemakers' Award from the County High Sheriff at St Mary's Church, Warwick.

Anyone who knows Steve will be aware of his consistency and leadership, and he was nominated for his tireless enforcement support work across many years, his dedicated coaching for disadvantaged youngsters to introduce them to fishing and to divert them away from knife crime, and his fundraising work to support these and other just causes. All of this whilst battling cancer and dealing with all of the associated issues that come with it.

Steve, you are an inspiration to us all. A huge well done from all of us in angling, truly an award which is richly deserved!

01/10/2026

Our Fisheries Enforcement Support Service work with clubs and fisheries of all sizes to help the constant battle against poaching, fish theft, and other environmental issues. This club are a prime example of what can be achieved with a bit of graft and a forward thinking attitude.

Funding is provided by the Environment Agency through rod licence sales to directly help protect your waters and we look forward to continuing our work with them.

29/09/2026

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Encouraging the next generation of anglers whilst teaching good angling practice and safe fish handling, as well as the correct legal requirements is vital in our work.

Having fun whilst doing it...well that is a huge bonus.

15/09/2026

We know there are still many that haven't completed or even started this free training programme. If you care about protecting your fish and waters, sign up and start today.

FishNET training rated exceptionally well by police team.

Our work of enforcement support relies on many partnerships combining resources and efforts. One of the ways we have been able to share our knowledge with others is the free educational programme FishNET. This online course contains a huge amount of material that can help you protect your waters from poaching and fish theft. Clubs, fisheries, individual anglers, and police teams have all been taking part, and recently a team from the Sussex Police were very impressed.

There are still a number of free places left so you can take part using the link here, you may be suprised at the information on offer.

https://anglingtrust.net/fishnet-learning-hub/

FishNET is funded by rod licence income and delivered in partnership with the Environment Agency.

08/09/2026

We learn a lot from the people we speak to.

Share your tips in the comments on the best ways to keep our environment and belongings safe.

What does your club do?

Despite the Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Support Service having many years of in-depth understanding and knowledge about protecting waters from poaching and fish theft, we still recognise that we are learning every day. Many clubs and fisheries have clever ways of protecting their waters, along with individual anglers who work alongside us to help expand our knowledge.

Fisheries and environmental crime affects many people, from the direct issue of fish theft, to angling clubs having equipment damaged or stolen. What are your best tips for protecting our environment and belongings?

01/09/2026

We always recommend knowing the byelaws for the region where you live and fish. Follow the link in the post to stay updated.

Do you know the regional byelaws for the areas you fish?

Did you know, there are seven different areas with their own regional byelaws in England. It is good to stay updated and to know what the rules in your region are. Our enforcement work starts with knowledge. Funding is provided by the Environment Agency through rod licence sales which is used firstly to help educate all anglers about how to safely and legally fish, but also to help directly protect your waters from poaching and fish theft.

If you spend any amount of time by the water, we highly recommend you know your stuff.

Find your regions byelaws here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-rod-fishing-byelaws-for-england-freshwater-fishing-with-a-rod-and-line

25/08/2026

Regional Enforcement Support Manager for the North West Adam Wall recently helped out at this amazing community fishing day. Our enforcement support work thrives thanks to these days that help introduce fishing in a safe and fun way.

24/08/2026

What do you get for your rod licence money?”

Each year the Environment Agency produce a Fisheries Annual Report which shows exactly how licence money is used. A few stats from the year 23/24 show that over 43,000 people were introduced to fishing, 232 fisheries improvement projects were completed and over 17,000 patrols took place to help prevent poaching and fish theft.

Safeguarding the future of fishing is of great importance and every licence sold goes one step to ensuring more people are out there fishing.

Get yours here: https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence

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17/08/2026

Fisheries enforcement work is so important, and end results can often uncover further serious offences when people are caught.

This recent 'catch of the day' was netted following a continued presence from the EA Fisheries Team - Gtr Manchester, Merseyside & Cheshire and Greater Manchester Police.

Our Fisheries Enforcement Support Service work regularly with teams to help keep your waters safe. Don't underestimate the importance of that single phone call to 0800 80 70 60 or the EA online reporting page.