News

Pet flea treatments are polluting our rivers and killing invertebrates, both from direct contact (through dogs swimming) and indirectly when pet bedding is washed and the water discharged (legally) through sewage treatment works. 

We, and many other conservation organisations, have publicised this issue before (news item in 2020) but no action has been taken.

New analysis of Environment Agency data, by the Rivers Trust and Wildlife and Countryside Link, shows that three insecticides used widely in tick, flea and worm treatments (fipronil, permethrin and the controversial neonicotinoid imidacloprid) – are present in English rivers in concentrations that exceed accepted safe limits for wildlife. This is despite the fact that these chemicals are deemed to be too toxic to be used in agriculture.

Despite establishing a Species Reintroduction Task Force earlier this year, Defra have now decided that species reintroduction is 'not a priority' in England.The government said it was focused on habitat restoration and pollution.

More information on the BBC News website. 

The news is not a surprise but is a source of frustration for many wildlife organisations who were hoping that beavers would be reintroduced to the wild in England, following the Protected Status given to beavers in October last year. 

Last week, a scientific conference was held in Cardiff, attended by delegates from across the UK and Ireland, to examine what is happening to sea trout, one of the best indicators of the health of our rivers, estuaries and coastal waters. 

The evidence is clear: over the last decade, sea trout numbers have plummeted in rivers throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Barriers to migration, poor water quality, predation, marine exploitation and climate change were identified as the main causes. 

In November, representatives of key organisations involved in sea trout management will meet to agree actions, based on last week's evidence. for the conservation and restoration of these threatened fish. 

We have just received the very sad news that Dr Graeme Harris died on 27 August.

Graeme dedicated his professional life to sea trout, as a scientist, author and tireless campaigner, contributing hugely to what we know of these fish, and working always for their conservation and to raise their profile from the shadow of Atlantic salmon.

Graeme’s book Successful Sea Trout Angling: The Practical Guide, written with Moc Morgan in 1989, is widely recognised as a classic of its genre.

Great news for citizen scientists and everyone trying to tackle invasive non-native species (INNS) on their local patch, with the launch of the new INNS Mapper app for England, Wales and Scotland.

The Institute of Fisheries Management is holding its Sea Trout Symposium in Cardiff on 12 and 13 September 2023.

Over two days, the conference will draw together the considerable amount of sea trout research that’s been carried out in recent years, and show how this might translate into practical fisheries policy and action.

Presenters will include WTT’s very own Andy Thomas talking about the third sector approach to managing sea trout, and our Vice-President Pat O'Reilly presenting an angler's perspective on sea trout management plans. 

‘Making polluters pay’ with meaningful financial penalties may have moved a step closer to reality last week.

Between the late 1950s and mid 1980s, pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) were introduced to the White Sea, from their native north Pacific rim, by Russian fisheries scientists. The new population expanded slowly at first, but eventually established a thriving ‘odd-year’ breeding cycle.

In 2017 – 2019, this population started expanding very rapidly in the north Atlantic, and pink salmon are now appearing in alternating years in UK rivers. 2023 is the latest of these years: a few days ago on 29 June, the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s Chris Conroy captured some excellent footage from the River Laxford, which you can view HERE.

This week, one of our partner environmental NGOs is taking the UK government to the High Court in the latest episode of the fight against sewage pollution in our rivers.

On the blog in October 2020 and with updates since, our Research & Conservation Officer in the North, Jonny Grey, recounted development of projects with Nidderdale Angling Club on the R Nidd near Pateley Bridge. The Angling Trust have showcased the work in a lovely little film, released this week.

Organised once again by star WTT volunteer Neil Mundy, our latest 3 Fly competition took place on Saturday 17 June at Meon Springs Trout Fishery in Hampshire.

The whole event, and the vital funds which it helps us raise, are dedicated to the memory of Pasco James, who died tragically and far too young in 2010.

The Wild Trout Trust is one of 37 environmental groups which has written to the UK’s Secretary of State to criticise the “serious deficiencies” in water companies’ plans for maintaining the country’s water supplies when the next drought strikes, and ask for radical improvements to the information presented in these draft water resource management plans.

As the letter notes, by 2030 the shortfall of water may be as much as a billion litres per day: in other words, 10% of the UK’s population’s daily water requirements.

In this early summer’s recent dry spell, we are already seeing rivers across England struggling with lack of water, even in areas where the vast majority of water comes from river or groundwater sources.

The latest salmon counter update for the Test and Itchen has just been released by the EA.

Counter data from 2022 for the two rivers suggest that salmon returning stock estimates are the 4th lowest and lowest respectively for the period 1990 - 2022.

For the Itchen, the returning salmon stock in 2022 was estimated to be at only 20% of the conservation limit - that is 20% of the number of returning adults needed to maintain the population.