Monthly Archives: September 2016

Rod licence income helps fund over 50 projects to benefit fish and fishing

Another 54 angling projects have benefitted from a share of £200,000 from the Angling Improvement Fund (AIF).

Administered by the Angling Trust in partnership with the Environment Agency, the AIF reinvests income from rod licence sales into ventures that aid freshwater fishing nationwide.

With every project also attracting financial or in-kind support through match-funding, it means that schemes totaling over half-a-million pounds have benefitted from the fund.

The latest winning applications include projects to protect fisheries from predation, encourage more people to go fishing, improve facilities at clubs and fisheries, and to safeguard venues. They were awarded under the following four themes:

Otter-proof fencing:

Unsustainable predation by otters can have a devastating effect on angling venues and has become an issue of major concern to anglers. Applications from commercial fisheries and clubs for otter-proof fencing projects were invited and eight projects have been selected for funding (bringing to 11 the total number supported through the AIF) and will share awards worth £31,926. Fencing projects are an expensive undertaking and the match funding secured by these projects, worth more than £158,000, is critically important.

Best unfunded proposals from previous rounds:

More than 300 applications were submitted to the first two rounds of the AIF, many more than could be funded. Aware of the large number of good projects it had to decline, the judging panel reviewed past entries and awarded funds totalling £77,931 to 21 projects, including 17 focused on junior angling. Most of the winning projects are now in place or are close to completion and the amount of match funding secured by the applicants totalled over £81,000 in this category.

Community waters:

As a key part of making fishing much more accessible to those new to the sport, funding was allocated to […]

By |September 21st, 2016|News|Comments Off on Rod licence income helps fund over 50 projects to benefit fish and fishing|

Native Crayfish Deaths: Environment Agency Information

Crayfish deaths in watercourses in our area, and increased biosecurity

The Environment Agency is investigating the deaths of our rare protected native white clawed Crayfish in three locations across the Severn and Wye river catchment. It is expected that the cause of this will be confirmed as Crayfish Plague which is very infectious for Crayfish.

White clawed Crayfish look like miniature lobsters, they hide away under rocks and logs during the day, and emerge during the night to eat. They are our largest freshwater invertebrate and the few remaining populations are very vulnerable to this disease and face local extinction. Crayfish Plague is a species specific disease and has no implications for human or other animal health. It is a water mold (fungus) that is carried mainly by American Signal Crayfish and it’s spores can be easily transported and transferred from infected waters by people and animals.

Dead white clawed Crayfish have been seen in the following catchments:

• Nailsworth Stream, Gloucestershire
• Dowles Brook, Wyre Forest
• The River Redlake, Shropshire

White Clawed Crayfish maybe infected, but apparently healthy, and continue to die for several weeks in these locations therefore an outbreak of Crayfish Plague can last for several weeks. The disease can be transferred to White Clawed Crayfish via water and mud on damp clothes, footwear, bike tyres, fishing or boating equipment or any machinery. The Crayfish Plague pathogens can live for 22 days on damp clothes or equipment.

We are asking the public to stay out of watercourses in these areas. If you are using equipment in any river, to stop the spread of the Plague, other infectious diseases or invasive species, please follow these steps:

• Clean off any mud or vegetation and remove any standing water.
• Either thoroughly […]

By |September 16th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Native Crayfish Deaths: Environment Agency Information|

Midlands Fundraiser 2016 – Saturday 8th October

The Barbel Society
Midlands’ Rivers Annual Research & Conservation Fundraiser 2016

Fellow Angler,
Our first event proved to be a great success with the Society raising just shy of £3000. All proceeds were put towards the Teme PHD project and radio tracking the movement of barbel within the river system.
We aim to build on this project year on year and as time goes on, The Barbel Society will face a growing list of habitat restoration projects and enhancement schemes that will not only benefit the barbel but all species, as well as improving habitat for all wildlife along the way.

 

Our second instalment of the Midlands rivers fundraiser event will be held on the 8th October 2016 and consist of a friendly fishing competition taking place in the day over three prolific fisheries on the river Severn and Teme (car permits and maps will be issued to all guests prior to event), followed by a fantastic 3-course meal and auction in the evening at The Fownes Hotel in the heart of Worcester city centre. Our guest speaker for the evening will be none other than Des Taylor.

A cost of £50 per head will include your entry to the fishing match, dinner at the hotel in the evening and a chance to bid on some fantastic lots in the auction.

For those of you intending on an overnight stay at the hotel, you will need to book early to avoid disappointment as we only have a certain amount of rooms reserved for the event. All details and references for bookings will be provided with each application. Alternative accommodation in and around the malvern hills can be provided upon request.

If you would like to receive an invitation to this years event […]

By |September 5th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Midlands Fundraiser 2016 – Saturday 8th October|