Row erupts as Prince William’s estate increases cost of trout fishing by 30pc

Anglers are in uproar over a 30pc increase to the cost of a fishing pass on Prince William’s estate on Dartmoor.

The Duchy of Cornwall, which is the national park’s largest landowner, has put up the cost of a “Brown Trout Pass” for the fishing season, which allows anglers to fish on the East and West Dart and its tributaries, from £70 to £90.

For those who want to fish for salmon, the cost to fish on the Duchy’s water has gone up from £150 to £170 this year. The fishing season for the Duchy began on March 15, and will run until Sept 30.

It is the first time in 10 years that the cost of the passes has gone up.

The money is used to fund the environment charity, Westcountry Rivers Trust, which was set up by the Duchy of Cornwall in 1995 and looks after freshwater rivers in the region, and is also used to aid the management of the estate.

The Duchy of Cornwall estate on Dartmoor comprises a third of the national park, and forms the largest land holding in its portfolio.

The Duchy has made a commitment to achieving net zero across all of its estates, including on Dartmoor, by the early 2030s. This includes restoring degraded peatland and doubling the size of woodland on Dartmoor by 2040.

But the Duchy has so far ignored campaigners who have demanded that the farmland on Dartmoor is “rewilded” or returned to its original state.

One angler, who has been fishing on Dartmoor for decades, said he was surprised by the increase when he came to purchase his seasonal permit licence last week.

“I am coming up towards retirement and this suddenly becomes a serious amount of money.”

A spokesman for the Angler’s Trust said while he couldn’t comment on the prices of individual fisheries, the cost of angling across the country remained relatively low.

“Joining a club is often the cheapest way to access fishing where very often the cost of a season can be the same as one or two rounds of golf. A small price to pay for a year’s worth of access to enjoy the peace and beauty of our rivers, lakes and canals,” the spokesman said.

It comes as the cost of a one-year Environment Agency licence for trout fishing is set to increase from £33 to £35.80 from April 1, while the cost of a salmon and sea trout licence will rise from £86.10 to £90.40.

Anglers must buy a rod fishing licence from the Environment Agency (EA) in order to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in rivers in England, Wales, and the Border Esk region, except the River Tweed.

Those caught without a licence can be fined up to £2,500. There are other local byelaws which anglers must follow, including when in the year they are allowed to fish and the size of fish they are permitted to keep.

Anglers must now purchase their EA licence online, or through the agency’s sales line, after the Post Office stopped selling licences in January 2023. They then must pay the relevant landowners, such as the Duchy of Cornwall, in order to be allowed to fish specific waters.

Those who go sea fishing are permitted to do so without an EA licence.

Many anglers are members of fishing clubs, such as the Dart Angling Association, and are permitted to fish the waters as a result of negotiations between the clubs and landowners.

The Duchy of Cornwall was approached for comment.