Fisheries review impacts on pollution, abstraction

Wide-ranging recommendations to conserve and maintain the diversity of salmon and freshwater fish and their habitats have been made by a review group appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture. ¹ Its report urges a series of measures to control agricultural pollution and over-abstraction, a river habitat restoration programme, and increased funding for the Environment Agency's fisheries work - possibly financed in part by a levy on abstraction licences and discharge consents. The Agency also comes in for criticism for lacking local accountability and deficiencies in its management structure.