Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Support Service

16/06/2026

We have recently had a few requests asking how to get hold of the free signs we provide, and who to contact.

We love helping clubs and fisheries protect their waters from poaching and fish theft, and thanks to funding provided by the Environment Agency through rod licence sales, we provide free signage advising and warning anglers of the rules around fishing in England. As well as this, we have our Building Bridges signs which are aimed at helping migrant anglers understand UK laws and regulations. These signs are perfect at educating all anglers, which is where our work of enforcement must always begin.

Every water in the country should have these and you can contact your Regional Enforcement Support Manager using the 'Meet the Team' section here: https://anglingtrust.net/enforcement/

For the Building Bridges Project signs, email project manager Janusz at: [email protected]

10/06/2026

Enforcement team supporting local community events and angling clubs.

Building Bridges Project Manager Janusz Kansik, North West Regional Enforcement Support Manager Adam Wall, and Northern Fisheries Support Officer Ian Doyle were proud to support Birkenhead Park's Discover Fishing event recently. This gave the local community the chance to hear about all the work that has been undertaken over the last year and the future plans for fishing at the park.

The lease for fishing at the park has now been taken on by Wirral Community Anglers who were also there to answer any questions and show the benefits of fishing the lake.

A huge thanks to local park ranger Steph for fully getting behind this initiative and recognising the importance of these projects. Great work everyone.

05/06/2026

As we are still in Volunteers’ Week, we thought we would remind you of how important you all are and the brilliant wide-ranging impact you can all have. The work of a volunteer can range from recovering stolen and lost property, rescuing and helping animals in distress, being on-hand to report pollution and incidents and even right up to life-saving actions. Our volunteers receive training which shows them what to look out for, reminds them to expect the unexpected, and most especially to know how to respond and what information to provide.

For years, many of our volunteers have been pillars of their communities and there are a number of opportunities if you want to get involved. Stay tuned as we hope to have an application form available available soon so you can be part of the work of protecting our fish and fisheries.

04/06/2026

Off the back of our post this morning, we wanted to share some of the volunteer awards that have been presented over recent months. Some are in recognition of 10 years of service, some for excellent overall work, and some are High Sheriff presentations, but they are all worthy of praise.

Some of the recent changes to our enforcement work may feel odd for those who have served for such a long time but we hope these changes can greatly expand the work of our fantastic volunteers all over the country, and you can continue reporting all issues in your area using the online portal here: https://www.gov.uk/report-environmental-problem

You can join in and help protect your local waters, just register for our completely free online FishNET course using the link here: https://anglingtrust.net/fishnet-learning-hub/

04/06/2026

Excellent timing for volunteer week.

Regional Enforcement Support Manager for the Northwest Adam Wall met with Paul Eckersley to present him with a Volunteering Excellence Award for his work around Cheshire. He has contributed over 5,000 volunteer hours in the last 15 months alone and we are extremely appreciative of his efforts to keep waterways safe from poaching and fish theft. We rely heavily on the extraordinary efforts of people like Paul. Thank you to all of our volunteers who serve their communities and help protect fish, fishing, and the environment.

Our volunteer work is funded by fishing licence money and is delivered in partnership with the Environment Agency, all helping to prevent illegal fishing activity.

angling society

02/06/2026

Excellent work from the Building Bridges Project. Has your club received any of the free multilingual signage?

The Building Bridges Project has some fine volunteers, and their work couldn’t function without these excellent workers. The project is part of the Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Support Service, and thanks to funding by the Environment Agency through rod licence sales, anglers from abroad that now reside here receive education and integration help to align with our laws and ways of fishing. The team hold community days, run school workshops, and offer a free rules translation service for clubs and fisheries.

You can give project manager Janusz an email and they can help you - [email protected]

Has your club had any support from the Building Bridges team yet?

01/06/2026

With volunteers week beginning today, we wouldn't pass up the opportunity to speak of the brilliant efforts of all of our volunteers.

Some give huge amounts of time, walking the banks regularly to help protect against the various forms of harm done to our fish and fisheries, and some only get out occasionally, picking up litter as they go to prevent it ending up in the water.

Whatever your position and however much time you give, we want to thank you for giving back to our sport and the environment.

20/05/2026

How have you been spending your close season?

Many of our volunteers have still been out doing what they do best, being the eyes and ears of our waters, but we wondered how you spend your time through the coarse fishing close season? Do you try your hand at fly-fishing? Maybe you proper tidy of the tackle den? Or do you have a completely different hobby altogether?

Stick your interesting close-season activities in the comments and let us know.

19/05/2026

Angling Trust Fisheries and Enforcement team serving to clear litter from our wonderful waters.

An organised liter pick along the River Kent took place, and some of our brilliant volunteers rolled their sleeves up to fill bags and bags full of litter. Nobody should have to clear up the mess left by others, and yet our teams regularly give up their free time to protect our fish, fisheries and environment, so let this be a little reminder about the importance of taking your rubbish home.

Thank you to everyone involved, what a brilliant effort.

06/05/2026

Angling Trust and Environment Agency Evolve Volunteer Support for Fisheries Protection.

The Angling Trust and Environment Agency (EA) are evolving the way volunteers support fisheries protection across England, moving from a single 'Voluntary Bailiff Service' (VBS) model to a broader Angling Trust volunteer network trained to identify and report fisheries crime and other issues affecting waters, including pollution and invasive species.

The change forms part of the National Angling Strategic Services contract development reflecting the need to involve more anglers, clubs, fisheries, and local communities in helping to protect waters from illegal fishing, associated fisheries crime and issues negatively impacting fisheries.

The transition shows the great value and strength of the Fisheries Enforcement Support Service and builds on the foundations formed over more than a decade of volunteer engagement through the Voluntary Bailiff Service.

Thank you for your hard work over the last 10+ years and we look forward to welcoming more of you into our wider Angling Trust Volunteer Network.