Michelle Dolphin
- 18-Mar-2008 - The Environment Agency has
come to the rescue of Princes Trust Team
193 from Longton, Stoke on Trent by purchasing
a pond liner for a pool at Carmountside
Primary School, Stoke upon Trent, where
they have been renovating a garden and pond-dipping
pool.
During the renovation,
the students from Stoke on Trent College,
taking part in the Princes Trust team, discovered
that the old pond liner was leaking and
they needed a new one. The lack of a new
pond liner was holding up the work. When
the Environment Agency heard about their
predicament through the Stoke Angling for
Everyone (SAFE) project, we agreed to buy
a new pond liner.
Environment Agency Fisheries
Officer Mick Buxton says “I was at a SAFE
anglers’ evening in Abbey Hulton giving
a talk to the children, when I heard about
the problem with the leaking pond. I bought
a new liner and had it delivered straight
away as the team couldn’t proceed with the
job without it.
“It is really important
for children to learn the value of their
environment, and we hope that studying the
insects and small creatures in their school
pond will encourage them to take an interest
in their environment and perhaps become
the anglers of the future.”
SAFE encourages a lot
of inner-city children to take up fishing
as it helps youngsters to take an interest
in the environment. They also teach children
about the surrounding environment and wildlife
and have been working with Carmountside
Primary School.
When the new pool has
been finished and has had time to mature,
SAFE plan to use it to help pupils learn
about the invertebrate and insect life in
the pond by pond-dipping.
+ More
Environment Agency nets
elver fishermen
Michelle Dolphin - 18-Mar-2008
- The Environment Agency carried out a series
of enforcement operations targeting illegal
elver fishing on the River Severn in Gloucestershire
last week.
Members of the Agency’s
Environmental Crime Team were joined by
police officers as eleven men were reported
for various offences, and illegal nets and
a vehicle were seized.
Environment Manager
David Throup said “These operations are
part of a planned enforcement campaign to
prevent and disrupt illegal fishing for
elvers. I hope that this will send a clear
message that we will not tolerate the use
of unlawful equipment and methods of taking
fish.”
Mr Throup continued
“Fishermen should be aware that we will
enforce all of our byelaws as they are designed
to protect fish stocks for the future. Research
has shown that our eel populations are under
threat and illegal elver fishing has a direct
impact on the number of fish that can mature
and return to the sea to spawn. If we do
not protect these fish now there may be
little or nothing for fishermen to catch
in years to come.”
+ More
Environment Agency advises
caution as heavy rain moves in
Tim Abbott - 15-Mar-2008
- The Environment Agency is warning people
to be vigilant as the Met Office has predicted
heavy rain to fall throughout this evening
and tonight.
The latest forecasts
predict a band of heavy rain to fall between
6pm tonight and 6am tomorrow morning, with
forecast totals between 20mm and 40mm during
this 12-hour period. The heaviest rain is
expected to move through the Thames region
around midnight tonight.
We will continue to
monitor this rainfall and issue flood watches
as necessary. The ground is already saturated
after a wet winter, and with rainfall totals
similar to mid-January this year some smaller
rivers that respond quickly to rainfall
may overtop their banks onto low-lying land
overnight. We will also monitor the larger
rivers, such as the River Thames, which
rises more slowly following heavy rain.
We are asking people
at risk of flooding to keep an eye on the
weather, call the Environment Agency’s Floodline
service for more information or check our
website for further updates.
From Sunday morning
the band of rain is expected to move away
leaving dry weather for a few days.
There are several steps
that people can take to protect themselves
or reduce the impact of flooding. This advice
could apply to people who are flooded from
any source. Phone the Environment Agency
Floodline on 08549 881188 or visit our website
www.environment-agency.gov.uk. They may
be able to register with the Environment
Agency’s Floodline Warnings Direct Service
to receive flood warnings when flooding
is likely.
The latest weather forecasts
are available from www.metoffice.gov.uk
For up to date information
dial the Environment Agency Floodline on
0845 988 11 88, and then add the Quickdial
Number.
