Illegal fishing poses a significant challenge for fishing clubs, threatening not only the environment as a whole but also the sustainability of fish stocks and the enjoyment of the anglers who pay for their memberships and tickets and respect your club’s rules.
Fishing clubs must act effectively when it comes to cracking down on illegal fishing, or risk damaging their reputation, experiencing financial losses and creating a disillusioned fishing community.
Let’s see what you can do to prevent illegal fishing.
Start with Effective Bailiffing
If you don’t already do so, consider setting up a dedicated bailiff team and kit them out with everything they need to do their job effectively. Think uniforms, club-branded shirts with the word ‘Bailiff’ on them in clear lettering, ID badges and perhaps even a gallery of approved bailiffs in your members’ area so anglers know who they can expect to see when they fish at your venue. All of these little touches show anglers that you take bailiffing seriously; acting as a deterrent for any illegal anglers.
Enhanced Surveillance and Patrolling
Regular and visible surveillance is one of the most effective ways to deter illegal fishing activity. Increase the presence of bailiffs during off-peak times when you might not necessarily see the most members, but may catch the most rule breakers. Equipping bailiffs with binoculars, cameras, and Clubmate’s Bailiff App enhances their ability to monitor large areas and respond quickly to any incidents.
Invest in Robust Signage
Did you know that many instances of illegal fishing that make it to court fall down by not having signage at all access points dictating rights of ownership and fishing requirements?
It’s so important to have plenty of signs on-site that clearly state the rules and expectations of the anglers when they enter your venues. If you’re yet to put up the appropriate signage, make it a priority. Clubmate offers a done-for-you sign-printing service so that clubs like yours are covering its bases. You can include all of the relevant information, along with a QR code that anglers can scan with their smartphones and purchase tickets. Then there’s really no excuse for illegal fishing!
Education and Awareness Campaigns
Educating anglers and the local community about the importance of sustainable fishing practices and the consequences of illegal fishing is important. Informational campaigns can help create a culture of respect and responsibility towards the fishing club. Going a step further and highlighting the legal repercussions and penalties for illegal fishing can also serve as a deterrent.
You can also work with your local newspapers and media outlets to make the community aware of the rules around fishing, as most members of the public aren’t aware of the regulations. The Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Service can also support your club with educational resources for anglers, the public and the police.
Useful Resources from the Angling Trust
- Angling Trust: Enforcement. This is a partnership between the Angling Trust and the Environment Agency to devise a clear vision and strategy to tackle the issues posed by illegal fishing.
- Building Bridges Project. Another initiative set up by the Angling Trust to educate local migrant communities on fishing legally within the UK. The Building Bridges Project helps to translate resources into different languages and to go into local schools and community groups to teach kids how to play by the rules. If you have a website built by Clubmate, you’ll have access to a multi-lingual translation plugin that will translate your rules and info into any language at the click of a button.
Reporting Fishing Crimes to the Police. Police are duty-bound to deal with fishing without permission and the theft of fish (from enclosed waters) and these are criminal offences under the Theft Act, 1968. This guide explains how you can go about reporting illegal fishing.
Reporting Systems and Hotlines
All illegal fishing must be reported to the Environment Agency incident hotline immediately by contacting them on 0800 807060. You can also set up a clear method to report any incidents to the club, such as a dedicated phone number, email address or button in the Clubmate App. Establishing a reliable reporting system or hotline for members and the public to report suspicious activities can massively help timely detection of illegal fishing and directly impact whether you’re able to find the person or people responsible.
The Bailiff App
Free as part of your Clubmate subscription, the Bailiff App allows bailiffs to verify the identity and membership status of anglers on the bank. Checking a digital permit or physical membership cards against their database means bailiffs can quickly confirm whether an angler is authorised to fish at the venue. This reduces the likelihood of unauthorised individuals engaging in illegal fishing activities.
If you’re unsure about getting your bailiffs to use Clubmate effectively, book them on to our monthly seminar sessions so that they can learn the ropes and ask any questions they may have.
Tracking Disciplinary Action
Clubmate allows you to log notes on an angler’s profile that are only visible to the committee, which can be used to log and track any disciplinary actions taken against anglers. This might include warnings, fines, bans or even incident numbers if cases get reported to the police. Recording these actions in Clubmate makes it simple for your bailiffs to make notes and ensures transparency and consistency in enforcing rules and regulations (Clubmate can help with this!)
Vital Fishing Data
Many clubs also use Clubmate to review angling data, such as ticket sales and busy periods, which can then be used to allocate resources more efficiently – particularly useful if you only have a small committee and a limited number of Bailiffs on hand!
Preventing illegal fishing is a frustrating but necessary part of running a fishing club. By implementing strong deterrents, effective ways to monitor who is fishing at your venue and giving bailiffs the tools they need to patrol the venue with confidence, you can significantly reduce illegal fishing. That way, you’ll be protecting the environment and ensuring your club is around for future generations to enjoy.
Clubmate is the go-to fishing club management software trusted by nearly 100,000 anglers and 1500+ fishing club committee members and bailiffs. We’ll help you remove unnecessary paperwork, increase revenue and take back your spare time with our simple-to-use, cloud-based system designed specifically for fishing clubs and fisheries. Book a 1-2-1 demo with one of our fishing club experts or see what people have to say about working with us.
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