David Lammy has escaped a £2,500 fine after he failed to get a rod licence before fishing with JD Vance.
The Foreign Secretary took the US vice-president fishing at his official country retreat in Chevening, Kent, on August 8 as he hosted him at the start of his UK holiday.
It later emerged, however, that Mr Lammy did not possess the required licence for rod fishing.
The Foreign Secretary referred himself to the environment watchdog over the ‘administrative oversight’ and purchased a retrospective licence.
Anglers in England and Wales aged 13 or over must have a rod licence to fish for freshwater species such as carp, according to the Environment Agency.
Those without a licence are warned they face a fine of up to £2,500 if they are fishing and cannot show a valid rod licence when asked.
But on Friday, an Environment Agency spokesman confirmed that Mr Lammy would not be prosecuted but had received a formal warning.
They said: ‘Everyone who goes fishing needs a licence to help improve our rivers, lakes and the sport anglers love.
‘As Mr Lammy has confirmed, we have issued a warning letter for fishing without a licence, in line with our enforcement and sanctions policy.’
The agency’s first response to a breach is usually to issue advice or a warning, rather than launch a prosecution, particularly in cases involving inexperienced anglers with no history of fishing without a licence.
In the year 2024/5, 765 people were prosecuted for breaching fishing rules, while 1,965 received warning letters and 159 were issued with advice and guidance.
Mr Lammy did not catch anything during the fishing trip, while Mr Vance said he and his children had landed fish which were subsequently returned to the lake.
During his visit, the US vice-president described Mr Lammy as a ‘good friend’ and a ‘very, very gracious host’.
Mr Vance added: ‘Unfortunately, the one strain on the special relationship is that all of my kids caught fish, but the Foreign Secretary did not.’
A Foreign Office spokesperson previously said: ‘The Foreign Secretary has written to the Environment Agency over an administrative oversight that meant the appropriate licences had not been acquired for fishing on a private lake as part of a diplomatic engagement at Chevening House last week.’
An Environment Agency spokesperson added: ‘Everyone who goes fishing needs a licence to help improve our rivers, lakes and the sport anglers love.
‘We understand the relevant licences have been purchased.’
A spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance said: ‘Angling is an amazing sport with multiple health benefits and we welcome as many people taking it up as possible.
‘It’s important to remember, however, why we are all required to have a rod licence with the proceeds raised being invested back into angling.
‘You can get a fine of up to £2,500 if you fail to show a valid rod fishing licence when asked’.
A Labour source told The Sun: ‘There’s nothing fishy to see here.
‘The Foreign Secretary isn’t much of a fisherman but he landed a big diplomatic catch getting the Vice President to stay for the weekend at Chevening.
‘As soon as he learned of the administrative error he got the relevant licences and notified the Environment Agency to avoid getting caught up.’