Angling Trust the Environment & Conservation

Rescue your river with help from Angling Trust and WWF

Is the river where you fish suffering from man-made problems?

Is your river or lake being affected from over abstraction or pollution?

Is the estuary where you fish in distress from discharges by sewers?

These are just a few examples of how your fishing could be on the decline from impacts from agriculture, industry, flood defence works, sewage treatment works or even the presence of invasive non-native species. The list is long.

The Angling Trust has formed a partnership with WWF-UK and the HSBC Climate Partnership to campaign about environmental issues affecting our members at a local and national level. This is an exciting development for the angling world – A FIRST!!

Our first campaign is on the river Tame which suffers from pollution caused by urban run-off from Birmingham. We are engaging with local councillors and the Environment Agency to find a solution, while also highlighting the issue in the local media in a bid to raise awareness about how UK Rivers are being affected by urban pollution, which will only get worse with climate change.

You may have seen Mark Lloyd, our Chief Executive, on the BBC Breakfast news calling for action from Birmingham City Council.  You can watch the interview by clicking here.

Proposed new hydropower installations on rivers are another major issue which, when not properly installed, can cause fish deaths or prevent fish from reaching their spawning grounds. The partnership has already opposed one such scheme on the Trent which has subsequently been withdrawn. Another has been rejected, with the local authority calling on the developers to ensure that there is no damage to fisheries. Campaigns against a large number of other proposed installations are being planned.

We can’t do this alone. We need to hear from you about the problems being faced on your home rivers and we will need your help in delivering the campaign. We have appointed an Environmental Campaigns Manager: Mark Owen. His job, together with our partners and with the support of all at the Angling Trust and Fish Legal, is to bring about real change to your fisheries.

Mark is waiting to hear from you.  Contact him by clicking here. 

Please send as much detail as you can about the nature of the problem. We will not be able to take on every issue, due to limited resources at the Trust. We will do everything that we can to find solutions and will use these local examples to influence national policy.

We look forward to working with you to make a real difference to the future of our rivers.