AN army of dedicated anglers is helping the fight against illegal fishing and fish theft.
Members of the Angling Trust’s and Environment Agency’s Voluntary Bailiff Service (VBS) they act as the eyes and ears on riverbanks and lakes, reporting suspicious incidents and providing crucial information to the Environment Agency and police.
VBS began as a pilot project in the South East in 2012 before being rolled out across the country in 2015 and, following inductions last autumn, proudly boasts more than 300 volunteers, including in Redditch.
Bailiffs are unpaid and rigorously vetted but successful candidates receive an intensive training course on what is expected of them from enforcement professionals, including the Angling Trust, the Environment Agency and the Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit.
It’s not just rod licence offenders that are being reported, either. On other patrols people have been cautioned by the police for going equipped for poaching, motoring offences and possessing drugs and weapons.
Now the Angling Trust and Environment Agency are appealing for more anglers to join the VBS. Induction and training days are being run throughout the country this spring and anyone interested in joining the VBS should email [email protected].
