Water Bailiff - England and Wales

England and Wales

In England and Wales, water bailiffs are appointed by the Environment Agency (referred to as 'the Agency'). They derive their powers from the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.

Any water bailiff:

• may examine any dam, fishing weir, fishing mill dam, fixed engine or obstruction, or any artificial watercourse, and for that purpose enter on any land,
• may examine any instrument or bait which he has reasonable cause to suspect of having been or being used or likely to be used in taking fish in contravention of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act or any container which he has reasonable cause to suspect of having been or being used or likely to be used for holding any such instrument, bait or fish,
• may stop and search any boat or other vessel used in fishing in the Agency area or any vessel or vehicle which he has reasonable cause to suspect of containing:
  • fish which had been caught in contravention of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act,
  • any such instrument, bait or container as aforesaid,
• may seize any fish and any instrument, vessel, vehicle or other thing liable to be forfeited in pursuance of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act.

If any person:

• refuses to allow a water bailiff or a person appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to
  • make any entry, search or examination which he is by this section authorised to make, or to
  • seize anything which he is so authorised to seize, or
• resists or obstructs a water bailiff or person so appointed in any such entry, search, examination or seizure,

they commit an offence.