All posts by Dave McCreath

About Dave McCreath

Recently retired from the Armed Forces. Hobbies include fishing, building furniture, IT and doing as I'm told. Settled in an area that straddles Norfolk, Cambs and Lincs . Fished on and off most of my life both in the UK and abroad and can be found at least once a week fishing the Trent in Fiskerton. Currently undertaking the roles of Fisheries Officer (stand in) and Treasurer within the ABF.

A total of 16 suspects have been served notices for fishing offences.

News and Events

It comes after a clampdown on illegal fishing in which 118 spot checks were carried out to ensure anglers were properly licensed and fishing within the rules.

The Environment Agency operation was carried out in Lincolnshire with the help from wildlife crime officers in the county and at Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, as well as volunteers from the Angling Trust.

Anyone fishing illegally can expect to be prosecuted and face a fine of up to £2,500, up to £50,000 for byelaw offences and a potential two-year prison sentence for illegal methods.

Lee Watts, fisheries enforcement officer for the East Midlands at the Environment Agency, said: “We take illegal fishing very seriously.

Angling Trust East of England (Grantham) Coarse Fish Close Season Debate – 2nd May 2018

News and Events

Venue:  Great Gonerby Social Club, 8 High St, Great Gonerby, Grantham, NG31 8JP

Meeting starts at 1900hrs with tea and coffee served beforehand.

This meeting is open to all anglers and fishery owners and is free to attend.  It is aimed at ALL freshwater anglers, Coarse and Game.  It is a key opportunity to hear about the work of the Environment Agency and Angling Trust and is a chance to tell us what YOU think our priorities should be.  Plus updates from key organisations in your area.

Agenda:

Environment Agency Fisheries Update.

Anglian Waters Services  – Their role in preventing pollution.

The Coarse Fish close season – dabate, should the close season be retained?

Angling Trust (Midlands) Fisheries Forum

News and Events
Midlands (Shropshire) Fisheries Forum

24th, May, 2017

Uffington Village Hall

Church Road, Shrewsbury, SY4 4SQ

 Tea, Coffee & Biscuits served from 6.40pm

Meeting begins 7.00pm

 In association with the Environment Agency

  This meeting is open to all anglers and fishery owners and is free to attend

This meeting is free to attend and open to all. It is aimed at ALL freshwater anglers, Coarse and Game. It is a key opportunity to hear about the work of the Environment Agency and Angling Trust and is a chance to tell us what YOU think our priorities should be. Plus updates from key organisations in your area.

It looks like being a fascinating meeting, so if you love angling and live within reach of the venue, make sure you attend.

If there is a specific question you would like to ask at the meeting please let us know well in advance by emailing ian.shepherd@anglingtrust.net

Angling Trust – Thames Fisheries Forum – 17th May 2107

News and Events

Thames Fisheries Forum

17th, May, 2017

The Green Park Conference Centre
100 Longwater Avenue Green Park
Reading
RG2 6GP

Tea and Coffee served from 6.40pm

Meeting begins 7.00pm

In association with the Environment Agency

This meeting is open to all anglers and fishery owners and is free to attend

This meeting is free to attend and open to all. It is aimed at ALL freshwater anglers, Coarse and Game. It is a key opportunity to hear about the work of the Environment Agency and Angling Trust and is a chance to tell us what YOU think our priorities should be. Plus updates from key organisations in your area.

How do we improve the fishing on the River Kennet?

At the forum we will be exploring and debating the current condition of the River Kennet from an Angling perspective.
To do this we will have an “Expert” panel consisting of:

• Martin Salter – Angling Trust
• Stuart Keable – Environment Agency
• Charlotte Hitchmough – Action for the River Kennet
• Del Shackleford – Reading & District Angling Assoc.
• Simon Hughes – Thames Water

The members of the panel will give a short presentation of about 5 minutes outlining the work that their organisation is doing to improve the condition of the river and what benefit this may bring to fish stocks and angling. After the presentations we will then take questions from the floor “Question Time” style with Martin Salter acting as Chair. So if you fish the River Kennet and care about it’s fish stocks, then this is a fantastic opportunity to get involved.

It looks like being a fascinating meeting, so if you love angling and live within reach of the venue, make sure you attend.

If there is a specific question you would like to ask at the meeting please let us know well in advance by emailing ian.shepherd@anglingtrust.net

Angling Trust – Briefing Note

News and Events

Operation LEVIATHAN Briefing Note – to Angling Trust Clubs

Operation LEVIATHAN, the largest multi-police force and multi-agency operation to ever target illegal fishing and fish theft, will be launched on Thursday 11th June 2015.

Operation LEVIATHAN’s policing partners are West Mercia, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, West Midlands, Dyfed-Powys and South Wales Police and the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit. Other partners are the Angling Trust, Fish Legal, Environment Agency and Cefas.

The Fisheries Enforcement Campaign and Operation LEVIATHAN is supported by Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, and the Prime Minister’s Envoy of Polish & Eastern European Diaspora in the UK.

Like Operation TRAVERSE, launched in November 2014 as a partnership between Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire Police, the Angling Trust, Environment Agency and Cefas, Operation LEVIATHAN will be ongoing indefinitely.

Such operations work through a high profile, increasing confidence and thereby intelligence – leading to pre-scripted and appropriately resourced ‘Days of Action’.

All operations are subject to an Operational Order, a detailed briefing of all legislation and due process – removing any ambiguity when incidents are reported. The intention is to ultimately cover the whole of England in such multi-agency initiatives. Moreover, the Environment Agency’s Incident Communications Centre was recently briefed, and is very much aboard.

It is vital that anglers report criminal offences (fishing without permission and the theft of fish) to the police (dial 101 or 999 if a criminal offence is in progress), and rod-licensing or national byelaw offences to the Environment Agency (0800 80 70 60).

Further information regarding how to report incidents and angling law can be found in our Guide for Anglers Reporting Offences to the Police HERE.

The Crown Prosecution Service has also been briefed, and fisheries offences, which were hitherto obscure and unfamiliar to the police, are increasingly being brought before magistrates all over England – the Impact Statements we provide have ensured appropriate sentences. See our recent news HERE.