21/09/2005 - More chances
for people to fish and a boost to the local
economy, are just two of the benefits the
Environment Agency plans to make by 2012,
the Agency's Board will hear today (Wednesday).
Reporting to its Board today on how to improve
fish stocks and provide a better environment
for wildlife and people, the Environment Agency
says that the proposals in Delivering Fisheries
for our nations - a fisheries strategy provide
an overview of how the Agency will deliver
for fisheries over the next 6 years.
Fish are recognised as a good indicator of
a clean environment and are part of the lifeblood
of our natural environment. People view the
very existence of healthy fish stocks in our
rivers and anglers fishing on the banks as
one of the best indicators of clean rivers,
lakes and coastal waters.
Fish stocks in England and Wales are encouraging,
with numbers increasing in many of our rivers.
There are, however, areas of concern and pressures
and challenges facing fisheries in the future
include;
Climate change - if temperatures, sea level
rise and rainfall patterns change, life cycles
and migration behaviour may be adversely affected
which could be devastating for species which
are already rare such as shad.
Siltation - Silted up stream gravels mean
there are fewer spawning areas for those fish
that prefer fast flowing waters, such as barbel
and dace.
Loss of fly life - over the last 15 years
there has been a fall in the number of river
flies resulting in less food for fish, birds
and mammals with detrimental effects for fisheries
businesses as anglers depend on good numbers
of these for their fishing.
Environment Agency Chief Executive Barbara
Young said:
"Fish are a key indicator of the health
of our rivers and more rivers now have healthy
fish populations. The Water Framework Directive
provides the necessary legislation to tackle
problems and make the most of opportunities
in water and wetland habitats. As we carry
out the Water Framework Directive we will
do even more to tackle the issues that have
had a bad effect on our fisheries, such as
diffuse pollution."
Salmon and freshwater fisheries make important
contributions to local economies. The government’s
recent review showed that it is the economic
and social role of fisheries that distinguishes
the Environment Agency’s fisheries duty from
its more general duty to contribute to the
conservation of other types of wildlife.
Barbara Young continued:
"Some 3.9 million people have fished
in inland waters in the last two years and
as many people again are interested in taking
up the sport. Nearly four million anglers
spend some £3 billion a year on the
sport. This provides important economic and
social benefits to rural and urban communities.
Fishing appeals to all ages and does not discriminate
against gender, race or athletic ability.
"
"We continually want to find better
ways to work with others to be efficient and
effective, to make the best use of resources
available. We will regularly benchmark how
we work and what we do to make sure we provide
a service of the highest quality when compared
to similar organisations in other countries."
The Board of the Environment Agency meets
around six times a year in public at different
locations around England and Wales. Board
meetings are open to the public to observe.
Each meeting begins with an open session where
members of the public can put questions to
Board members and directors.
Details of all Environment Agency Board meetings
can be found on the Agency’s website where
the full agenda and papers for the 21 September
meeting can also be found.
The Board of the Environment Agency was meeting
today (Wednesday) in public at the Dylan Thomas
Conference Centre, Somerset Place, Swansea,
SA1 1RR.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Environment Agency launched ‘Our Nations’
Fisheries’ last year, a comprehensive report
on fish communities in England and Wales highlighting
a number of areas of critical concern including
the future of eel and salmon stocks and the
impact of climate change on fish populations.
The Environment Agency for England and Wales
is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB),
set up under the Environment Act 1995, to
take an integrated approach to environmental
protection and enhancement in England and
Wales. The Agency has major responsibilities
for controlling industrial pollution and wastes
management, regulation of the water environment,
and for protection against flooding from rivers
and the sea. The Environment Agency’s primary
aim is to protect and improve the environment
and make a contribution towards the delivery
of sustainable development through the integrated
management of air, land and water. Details
of the Agency’s functions are available on
the Agency’s website.
