Don't forget anglers, Shropshire MP tells minister in charge of rivers
A Shropshire MP has told the Environment Secretary not to forget about anglers when considering his shake-up of the water industry.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin raised the question as Environment Secretary Steve Reed outlined his plans for a new Independent Water Commission, to tackle the problem with pollution in Britain's waterways.
A report published by Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former deputy governor for the Bank of England, recommended that a new regulator replace Ofwat and assume its wider responsibilities, in the wake of public anger about sewage spills, rising bills and a lack of investment by the industry.
Mr Pritchard said there were an estimated four million anglers across the UK, with 1.2 million getting fishing licences last year alone.
"Angling across the country is worth about £3 billion to the economy and it is the favourite pastime in this country, as the Secretary of State will know," he said.
"Will he give an undertaking to all the anglers throughout this country that they will be fully engaged by the new regulator?"
Mr Reed said Mr Pritchard raised an important point, and assured him that the new commission would be talking to anglers.
"Anglers are quite rightly furious about the level of pollution, which is destroying fish and other life in our rivers, but also about the impact of abstractions, particularly from chalk streams, so the new regulator will be engaging with them."
"Sir Jon has proposed new mechanisms for volunteers and campaigners to engage with the system that were not available previously. We will consult on those in the autumn, and move ahead with legislation following that."
Last year anglers in Bicton Heath, near Shrewsbury, reported seeing blisters on the fish they caught on the first day of the season.
In a report for the Angling Trust, analysis of 52 sites along the Severn showed 61.5 per cent had phosphate levels above the upper limit of Environment Agency regulations, compared with 42 per cent in 2022-23.
The trust said sewage pollution had soared, with 53,072 discharges of raw sewage into the river during the three years up to 2023 - more than 48 each day.
