Environment Agency: October Update

Hello from everyone at the Environment Agency,

We are pleased to be bringing you our latest updates! Team EA had another busy month and our latest stats show that people across the country are continuing to buy rod licences, so it looks like this summer’s trend for angling continues.

Our fisheries officers in Cambridge and Bedfordshire have been using a multi beam sonar to create visual depth maps of stillwater fisheries. The data produced shows anglers which areas of the lake to target when fishing and will help angling clubs manage their fisheries in future.

Our lead environmental monitoring officer for Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk has also released this year’s River Gipping fisheries report as a Youtube video with helpful infographics on the latest status of fish populations as well as explaining how rod licence money is spent in the area – a must watch!

Across the EA our teams have also been on the ground carrying out essential enforcement activity with the help of local organisations, volunteer bailiffs and information from incident reports.

Illegal net activity foiled by Environment Agency patrols

Although the leaves have started falling and temperatures have dipped, our Lincs and Northants teams have spotted plenty of anglers taking to the waters. Our fisheries teams have been carrying out enforcement patrols and responding to incidents reported to them.

One such incident involved a large gill net left in a Lincolnshire river. After a local angling club contacted us regarding an illegal net that had been retrieved by the voluntary bailiff service, the net was promptly collected. Our fisheries enforcement officers are also working with the club to establish joint patrols in the area to prevent further illegal activity in the future. Our teams in the West have also been busy removing illegal nets from the Great Ouse as well as working with a local angler who contacted us when he discovered two illegal traps while fishing.

EA responds to incident involving a large gill net on a Lincolnshire river.

Illegal nets and traps pose a serious risk to our fish stocks and wildlife. The choice made by some people to fish illegally could cost us valuable species that we all care about. Particularly vulnerable stocks such as salmon must be managed carefully and this unregulated activity, puts their survival at risk. Nets and traps pose as dangerous hazards to other wildlife inhabiting the area and could cause harm.

Our fisheries officers use patrols to gain local intelligence on an area, follow up on any reports made and provide a visible presence as they police angling activity along the water. Our teams are always keen to talk to potential witnesses - anglers, walkers, locals and others on the waterside but we will always ensure that any activity is carried out in line with the latest government social distancing guidance.

Our patrols are based on intelligence received via the emergency hotline – 0800 80 70 60. For example, recent attempts to illegally remove fish from club waters were stopped after a local bailiff shared information of an angler in the area. A subsequent patrol led to enforcement officers finding the suspect who was searched and removed from the club waters.

Enforcement officers also conduct boat patrols during this part of the year to look for illegal nets and instruments. In recent weeks our North East teams have joined forces with Northumbria Police to continue their crackdown on illegal activity. The reports we receive from the public and the work of our officers is vital to protect and help promote healthy fisheries and resilient fish stocks. Following the latest report, our fisheries enforcement officers seized a 25 metre net from the beach at Ryhope, Sunderland.

If you suspect illegal fishing activity remember to report it via our 24/7 hotline number, 0800 807060, it’s also very helpful if the reports are made at the time the suspicious, potentially illegal activities are being observed. This allows our fisheries staff to assess information and accurately prioritise and investigate reports. Please remember to stick to the facts when reporting. One of our teams will follow up while ensuring they adhere to government guidelines. Our commitment to protecting our environment does not change while dealing with the effects of coronavirus.

First major fish pass opens at Bevere weir

This month, the Canal and River Trust (CRT) announced the opening of a fish pass which for the first time in over 170 years, gives fish free passage past the weir at Bevere. This milestone is part of an ongoing major conservation project called ‘Unlocking the Severn’ which is taking place along the UK’s longest river. This project, led by CRT, is in partnership with Severn Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and Natural England.

At Bevere, the fish pass is made up of a 100m bypass channel, allowing fish to swim up a gradually sloped rock-ramp channel around the weir. The water is slowed and flow broken up through the installation of blocks at the base of the bypass channel. This creates optimal conditions that fish, such as the endangered twaite shad, can swim through with ease.

Environment Agency specialists continue to consult on what is one of the largest river connectivity projects of its kind ever attempted in Europe. The fish pass at Bevere is the first of four significant fish passes that will be installed on the River Severn with our help.

Don’t forget to stay in touch!

You can stay up-to-date with the latest news and information from the Environment Agency on Twitter and Instagram at @envagency.