News headlines May 13
21.05.13 Benyon moves to allay fears over river dredging by farmers The Natural Environment and Fisheries Minister, Richard Benyon, has moved to calm a growing storm of protest in response to reports that the Secretary of State Owen Paterson had instructed the Environment Agency to prepare options for the deregulation of river dredging to assist farmers and landowners reduce agricultural flood risks. The Angling Trust secured an urgent meeting with Mr Benyon in his constituency, rather than waiting weeks for a slot in the Defra ministers diary, in order to convey the concerns of anglers, fishery owners and conservation and wildlife groups that the government was about to rip up decades of environmental protection and return to the bad old practices of turning once natural rivers into drainage ditches.
21.05.13 Stand up for a Cleaner Tidal Thames - Register now as an Interested Party As you may know the Angling Trust, along with Thames Anglers Conservancy, is a founder member of Thames Tunnel Now, the coalition set up to press for the completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel which will intercept 34 of the worst polluting Combined Sewer Overflows and help put an end to the scandal of 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage polluting both the tidal river and the estuary.
20.05.13 Charter for Chalk Streams launched this week UK governments blasted for 50 years of 'lamentable environmental stewardship' National wildlife and conservation organisations have formed an alliance with local river restoration groups to press the government and its agencies to radically reform water policies to enable England's endangered chalk streams to return to good health.
08.05.13 AT Personnel Members Boat Festival
12th & 13th October 2013 – Weymouth
1st Prize - £500, 2nd Prize - £250, and 3rd Prize - £150 (with other prizes available)
Entry fee £150.00 (Junior 17 and under Entry £75).
Closing date for entries no later than 31st August 2013.
For further information click on the title of the event as above.
01.05.13 Angling Trust RiverFest 2013 - All Systems Go For New National River Competition A brand new competition, which will carry the biggest ever individual river competition first prize of £10,000, plus more big main list and section cash prizes in the final gets underway in July.
