Why you pay for a UK fishing licence

 

I have been a regular angler on many rivers and lakes etc,  for decades. I was last asked by a bailiff to show my licence in the 1980s. I know numerous other anglers who can also say the same thing, relating to lack of enforcement action on the bank. 

So, does the cost of our licence just go right back into the watercourse to help fish and other wildlife in the UK, or does a wee bit of the profit go elshere? 

We need to be aware of the following regarding where a lot of our fishing licence fees end up.

A Chief Executive Officer at Environment Agency (EA) can expect to make an average total pay of £194,999.

Jolly good old work if you can get it. 

The Environment Agency total staff costs in 2022-23 = £666.8m. 

The EA is funded in part from the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Additional money is raised from the issuing of licences and permits such as abstraction licences, waste handler registrations, navigation rights and of course rod (fishing) licences.

EA’s fisheries annual report (Fisheries annual report 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) revealed nearly £22m in rod licence income was achieved through almost 935,000 fishing licence sales.

 

https://dryflyfisher.yolasite.com/