David Lammy faces £2,500 fine for fishing without licence with JD Vance
David Lammy and JD Vance were pictured last week with rods in the grounds of Chevening, the grace-and-favour country estate used by foreign secretaries, during the vice-president's family holiday to the UK.
The two men confirmed they had been fishing for carp, along with their children, but said that the adults had failed to catch anything.
At the start of their meeting, Vance said: 'Unfortunately, the one strain on the special relationship is that all of my kids caught fish, but the foreign secretary did not.'
It is a requirement in England and Wales for individuals over the age of 13 to hold a rod licence to fish, even on private land. It is understood neither Lammy or Vance held a licence at the time.
People caught fishing without a rod licence can face fines of up to £2,500 from the Environment Agency, the government's environmental watchdog. Lammy has since purchased the relevant licence retrospectively and referred himself to the agency.
The Foreign Office has said that 'administrative oversight' meant that the licences were not properly organised in advance.
A spokesman 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.
'As soon as the foreign secretary was made aware of the administrative error, he successfully purchased the relevant rod fishing licences. He also wrote to the Environment Agency notifying them of the error, demonstrating how it would be rectified and thanking them for their work protecting Britain's fisheries.'
Vance is continuing his family holiday with his wife and three children in the Cotswolds after visiting Lammy at the country estate as part of a series of engagements for the vice-president since arriving in the UK.
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All the fish caught were returned to the waters after the group had finished.
A Labour source said: '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 learnt of the administrative error he got the relevant licences and notified the Environment Agency to avoid getting caught up.'
The Environment Agency said: 'Everyone who goes fishing needs licence to help improve our rivers, lakes and the sport anglers love. We understand the relevant licences have been purchased.'
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