Britain’s freshwater environments are under threat from agricultural pollution, abstraction, obstruction and invasive species. These issues require hands-on, practical solutions supported by good science. Working with farmers, water companies and Government agencies, the Rivers Trust network does just that. With support from the Company, the network has become one of the most influential voices in UK freshwater management and now consists of over 70 catchment-based charities working to tackle the key issues in freshwater management.
One example of the network’s work to reverse, rather than simply halt the declines in freshwater biodiversity is the “Unlocking the Severn” project. Managed by the Severn Rivers Trust, the project will reopen 158 miles of the river, allowing migratory fish to access critical spawning grounds. Weirs have already been removed at two sites on the River Teme whilst work has begun on two of the four state of the art fish passes located on weirs on the Severn.
This ground-breaking project aims not only to secure the future of the Severn’s salmon and other protected fish species but to reconnect eight million people with the river, working with over 200 school classes, 100 community groups and generating thousands of volunteering opportunities.
Jonathan White, Chairman of the Rivers Trust described the project as “one of the largest river restoration projects ever attempted in Europe…this will help secure the long-term future of the Severn’s salmon population and many of the UK’s declining and protected fish species”
© The Fishmongers’ Company 2024
