Call for Natural Resources Wales to take Wye pollution seriously

February 24, 2021 Guest User

A WELSH Government body has been accused of downplaying pollution being caused by poultry farms along the River Wye. Reports suggest that 60 per cent of the waterway fails environmental targets for phosphates, and there’s strong evidence to suggest that the high number of poultry farms along the valley are a root cause.

However, in its recently published planning advice to councils within the Wye catchment, Natural Resources Wales downplayed the impact of the farms, stating instead that ‘phosphate is naturally occurring’ and that ‘bank erosion’ and ‘sewerage’ are possible sources.

Nick Mesham, CEO of Salmon & Trout Conservation, has labelled the advice heavily flawed and called for tighter restrictions on poultry farms.

“NRW has a responsibility to protect the River Wye. That responsibility cannot just be set aside or watered down in order to allow the poultry industry to expand” he said.

**Reports suggest that 60 per cent of the Wye fails environmental targets for phosphates**

Why our ‘dirty rivers’ are fishing so well...

January 28, 2021 Guest User

THE state of England’s rivers was laid bare in 2020, with a series of damning Government reports revealing that the vast majority of our waterways fail to meet European ecological standards.

Why is the poor state of our rivers not showing in angler’s catch reports?

Indeed, they were deemed to be the dirtiest across the whole continent, with not a single river, lake or coastal water in the country being rated as ‘chemically good’.

You might think that this would result in meagre catches and stunted fish growth, but the reality couldn’t be more different. Over the past few months, bumper bags of prime silverfish have been winning river matches up and down the country, and in the specimen fishing world the story is the same. Immense barbel, chub, roach, perch and dace are all being banked this season from running water venues that appear – on the surface at least – to be in rude health.

In a bid to understand how the two apparently contradictory situations can co-exist, and how our supposedly polluted waterways are places in which coarse fish can not only survive, but also thrive, we asked the experts at the Environment Agency. The answer, it seems, lies not in the amount of pollution, but its type.

Heidi Stone, the EA’s Fisheries Partnerships Manager, told us:

“Some pollutants are obviously highly toxic and pose a massive threat to fish stocks, while other, organic, pollutants can actually lead to increased levels of invertebrates, resulting in more food for fish.
“Just because a river fails to meet water quality standards doesn’t necessarily make it toxic or dirty. It could be nutrient-rich and home to certain species that are thriving – it just hasn’t met all the required criteria.”

Some organic pollutants can actually lead to increased levels of invertebrates, resulting in more food for fish

This was a view largely echoed by fish expert Dr Paul Garner who revealed that not only is there a wide range of pollutants in our rivers, not all of which are harmful, but that certain species are better armed to deal with them than others.

“Just about everything we humans do, from flushing the loo or washing the car, right the way through to farming, creates pollutants that sooner or later will enter a river. The result is a really complex mix of chemicals in our rivers that impact the ecosystem in different ways. Some might affect the plants, while others influence the invertebrates, or stimulate algal growth – all of which have a knock-on effect on the fish.
“Most coarse fish are tolerant of low-level pollution, particularly organic pollution, which – as has already been mentioned – can stimulate growth of organisms in a river. However, there comes a point where you go past this and start having problems, such as those posed by low dissolved oxygen levels.
“But other pollutants can impact the fish in different ways, and not just in terms of water quality. Take soil entering a river because of run-off from intensively farmed land, for example. This could settle on the riverbed and cause siltation, which would affect species like barbel and dace that need clean gravels for spawning.”

Paul also revealed how the most susceptible and fragile of species when it comes to pollutants are typically salmonids such as trout, salmon and grayling, but that some of our coarse fish are far more hardy when it comes to dealing with apparently dirty rivers.

“Fish that are more ‘generalist’, in that they eat a wide diet, spawn on whatever substrate is available, and mature at a young age, will be less affected. Roach fall into this category, as well as chub to a lesser extent. Those with a more selective diet and spawning habitat, such as barbel and bream, are more likely to suffer.”

However, Paul was keen to add a note of warning that, although fish populations currently appear to be healthy in many rivers, the long-term situation might be very different.

“Just because there are lots of roach in, say, the River Trent, at the moment, it doesn’t mean that they’ll be there for future generations. With a bigger population comes ever more pollution, so for now we’ve got to make hay while the sun shines,” he added.

For now we’ve got to make hay while the sun shines!

Figures reveal low response to fishery incidents - do we need more bailiffs?

November 13, 2020 Guest User

THE angling community is deeply concerned for the safety of our sport after damning figures were revealed about the Environment Agency’s response to fishery incidents over lockdown.

Obtained by a Freedom of Information request, they state that between March 23 and August 21 this year, the EA’s National Incident Recording System received 2,924 reports of fishery incidents across England. Just 103 were registered as ‘attended’.

The EA’s National Incident Recording System received 2,924 reports of fishery incidents across England. Just 103 were registered as ‘attended’

‘Fishery incidents’ include poaching and fish disease – but the EA states that it had to prioritise certain incidents over lockdown. A spokesperson told us:

“During the national lockdown we had to limit some field work due to Government guidance on how to manage the risk of contracting Coronavirus, but we continued to respond to the most damaging incidents which could have seriously harmed the environment.
“Over the course of the summer we carried out many fish rescue operations that were essential to protect vital fish species.”

The EA also told us that the figures might be slightly misleading:

“Some of the 2,924 incident notifications may have been from the same source. Others could have been unsubstantiated, while others won’t have been appropriate to attend, or not have been within our remit.”

While there’s no doubt the EA faced an unprecedented and challenging time, and that these figures may not tell the full picture, this can’t continue – as angling ambassador, Rob Hughes, explains:

“To be honest, I’m not surprised by the figures. Over lockdown there were many problems, ranging from members of the public trespassing on fisheries right through to poaching.
“There was bound to be a high level of incidents, and the poor response time is indicative of just how underfunded the Environment Agency is.
“However, we can’t excuse these figures and people should not get away with poaching. The whole Covid situation has been a learning curve, and hopefully the EA can learn from these statistics and be better prepared in future.”

Martin Salter, Head of Policy at the Angling Trust, gave its view on the issue:

“The Trust is disappointed at the lack of activity on the ground by the Environment Agency during the lockdown period and after, but is pleased that normal service has been resumed,” he said.

What can be done to help the Environment Agency protect fisheries?

But has it? According to Adrian Lane, of Fishery Watch, the UK’s largest independent voluntary water keeper network, problems are still occurring.

“Last week we had a call about a man killing an 80cm pike. He’s admitted to it – I’ve received messages from him doing so – but when the incident was reported to the EA it showed no interest.
“We also received reports from a man fishing a canal who watched someone catching bream and putting them in a bucket to take away. Again, he called the EA, which was unable to help due to having nobody in the area. The problems are ongoing, and we can’t let it go on like this.”

It was Adrian who submitted the FOI request to the EA, after receiving an alarming number of calls from anglers during lockdown saying that they weren’t getting any help.

“People have called in desperation after failed attempts with the EA,” he says,
“and we will try and help out where we can.
“We made 41 calls to the police about fishery incidents over lockdown, and every single one was attended. Officers have even stayed on afterwards on occasions and helped clear up rubbish. It would be great if the EA could refer people to the police if its staff can’t attend an incident.”

Asked where he believes the EA’s problem lies, Adrian says:

“The last thing I want to do is criticise the people on the ground.
“I have great relationships with my enforcement officers, who are as passionate and caring about our fisheries as we are.
“I think the problems come from the top, and until more funding is made available our fisheries are in a perilous place.”

Anglers urged to help in fight to protect our waterways from pollution

October 28, 2020 Guest User

THE Angling Trust is taking a stand against the growing threat of pollution in UK waterways with a new drive that aims to preserve not only our fishing, but also the health of the whole aquatic environment.

Named ‘Anglers Against Pollution’, the campaign is demanding better monitoring of our waters and proper enforcement of laws and regulations, leading to more efficient and stringent prosecution of those found guilty of large-scale pollutions.

It follows damaging recent assessments that revealed none of our waters meet European chemical pollution standards.

Britain’s anglers have a long history of striving to protect our rivers and stillwaters dating back to the creation of the Anglers Conservation Association in 1948, and the Trust is hoping that those within our sport will once again step up to the plate and put pressure on Government by signing the petition that was launched on October 15.

John Cheyne, National Regions Manager at the Trust, is spearheading the initiative, and he told us:

“The waters we fish are in crisis, suffering from all forms of pollution, from agricultural run-off to plastics, chemical pesticides and raw sewage. Time is no longer a luxury we can afford in the fight for our environment.”

The new campaign will not be seeking the creation of new legislation to tackle the growing pollution threat, as John believes that current laws are sufficient – they’re simply not being enforced properly.

“The Environment Agency has seen its budget cut by 50 per cent since 2010, so proper monitoring becomes a real challenge,” he added.
“When it does catch a perpetrator, they get off far too easily. Take water companies. The fine they face is often cheaper than the cost of fixing a pollution issue, so they simply take the hit and continue to offend.
“Now is the time to take a stand. Get behind our new campaign and let’s demand that our rivers, lakes and canals are clean and healthy places full of fish and abundant wildlife for us all to enjoy.”

Post-lockdown rod licence sales soaring - where should the money go?

October 20, 2020 Guest User

THE ENVIRONMENT Agency has been handed the chance to tackle some of the biggest issues facing fishing after receiving millions of pounds in extra income.

In the four weeks following the lifting of lockdown restrictions on May 13, more than 335,000 rod licences were sold, a 230 per cent rise in less than two months and 200,000 more than were sold in the corresponding period last year.

Newcomers to the sport accounted for the majority of the spike in sales, but there is nothing particularly new about the major issues facing angling. Anglers have been crying out for authorities to address growing problems with issues such as water quality and predation, but they aren’t the only problems and now a debate has begun on how the extra cash should best be spent.

The EA will obviously have its work cut out trying to please everyone, so we asked fishery owners, club officials and some of angling’s unsung heroes to tell us where they think the money should go.

Chris Wood, Shrewsbury Angling Club Secretary

SPEND IT ON: Improving river fishing

“The money should be put back into rivers and supporting angling clubs. There are several ways to do this, but the most important is by making fisheries safer. By this I mean building platforms along stretches to make river fishing comfortable and accessible. Clambering down steep banks and cutting your way through a jungle isn’t for everyone, particularly when so many of us are used to sitting by a manicured commercial where you can park next to your peg.
“River fishing’s popularity is on the rise – our club is completely full, with a 300-angler waiting list – so we need to make our rivers accessible to all. By building more platforms you get more bums on the bank so you can police a stretch more easily, as anglers can report anything dodgy.”

We need to make our rivers accessible to all

Mark Barrow ,underwater cameraman for Beneath British Waters

SPEND IT ON: Tackling the major polluters

“The key area to address is the amount of pollution that goes into our rivers, particularly sewage. I’ve been diving and filming in rivers for 30 years and in the past, I’d film shoals of grayling that were 300-strong. Nowadays in the same areas I find small pockets of 15 or so fish at best.
“I’m sure that all the pollution that enters our rivers is having a negative impact and there needs to be a combined effort between the EA, water companies and all other forces to tackle the problem. There are other issues, of course, but sorting the rivers themselves should be the primary objective.
“I’d like to add that the EA gets a lot of stick, but it does some fantastic work. Its people on the ground are just as frustrated and passionate about all this as we are. The problems may be at the top.”

Do the EA need to take a harder stance on polluters?

Bryan Dray, Wellingborough & District Nene AC Youth Coach

SPEND IT ON: More coaching facilities for juniors and newcomers

“It should be spent on funding grassroots level coaching. We’ve seen a phenomenal number of juniors and newcomers get into fishing this year and we need to keep them interested in angling.
“We’ve got 300 juniors in our club, and our coaching sessions have been key in getting these guys interested. The problem is having the funds to keep it all going.
“It’s been so busy that I’ve pretty much had to give up my day job. We’re also in need of more tackle for the kids to use, as well as a van to transport it.
“If we can continue supporting young anglers and keep encouraging more to the sport, we’ll be able to keep fishing on a healthy grounding for generations to come.”

We’ve seen a phenomenal number of juniors and newcomers get into fishing this year and we need to keep them interested in angling

Kevin Clark, Founder of The Angling Initiative project

SPEND IT ON: Policing our waters better

“I’d love to see the extra money spent on better policing for our rivers. Take my local River Wye for example. It suffers badly from poaching, like many waterways, but it also suffers from other so-called water users doing what they like, with little fear of prosecution.
“In recent years the river has been plagued by high levels of phosphates entering the river from neighbouring farmlands, causing terrible algal blooms, which have a detrimental impact on the water quality.
“There’s also an issue with the amount of water from the river being used for irrigation purposes from various interests along the Wye valley, which the river can’t support. It’s caused some of the lowest water levels I’ve seen in decades, and the fishing has suffered as a result.
“The EA needs to contact the local farmers, make them aware of the problems being caused, and start to do something about it. I’m sure many other rivers are suffering a similar fate...”

May waterways suffer badly from poaching

Rig Marole create biodegradable lead safety-clip

February 3, 2020 Guest User

BRITAIN’S tackle industry took another step towards stamping out plastic waste this week after a manufacturer introduced a biodegradable lead safety-clip.

Staff behind Suffolk-based firm Rig Marole crafted the first batch of its ‘greener’ clips after working closely with a contact in the NHS who specialises in creating biodegradable implants such as pins, screws and plates for surgery.

Dan Burke from Rig Marole’s media team said:

“After seeing the shocking images regarding the plastic pollution in our seas and waterways on Blue Planet II, we thought we should do something.
“Even though this is a small contribution, these new lead clips will be strong enough to withstand angling usage, be less dangerous to wildlife and will break down in freshwater after just eight months.”

For more information on the new clips visit www.rigmarole.co.uk