Presentation to Severn and Avon Fly Life Conference January 12th 2011 Paul Knight S&TA Chief Executive
When I see a salmon, I don t just see a fish, I see an ambassador of the wild, a litmus by which we can judge the health of the natural environment which we still depend on today Ray Mears BBC Television
Fisheries and Angling Fisheries - the management, Improvement and conservation of rivers lakes and fish stocks - The Resource and S&TA s main concern Angling is a sport which relies upon that resource for its existence
Current Issues Fisheries and Environmental Legislation Water Framework Directive Water Resources Abstraction Water Quality Sedimentation/EDCs Chemical and nutrient input Hydropower F/water & Severn Barrage Barriers to Fish Migration Fly Life Aquaculture Mixed Stock Salmon/Sea Trout netting Trout and Grayling Management Sea Trout and Salmon Management Access Canoes Invasive Species Disease control Gyrodactylus salaris Education Social, economic and environmental benefits of Angling
S&TA s Charitable Objectives Management and conservation of salmon, trout and all other fish species of UK origin Management and conservation of ecosystems necessary for them to thrive Scientific research to underpin all our work Education
Fisheries Legislation
Cypermethrin Sheep Dips
Example of good EA consultation process S&TA involved from stage before draft published. Along with others, we influenced content, much of which was Included in final document. S&TA and other organisations support the Strategy. Sea Trout & Salmon Strategy
Trout & Grayling Strategy Example of flawed EA consultation process Triploids? or address:. Abstraction. Habitat degradation. Land management. Genetic studies Ongoing negotiations with EA
Hydropower
Fish Passage
Access
Aquaculture
Fish Farming Impact
Coastal Mixed Stock Fisheries
Predation Ecosystem Management
Invasive Species
International Influence NASCO: Member of NGO Group attend annual week-long meetings Represent NGOs on Socio Economic working group Represent European NGOs on Habitat Focus Area Review Group
Water Framework Directive
Water Framework Directive All the problems facing river catchments combine to affect fisheries, so health of fishery and its dependent species - mirrors health of catchment Fisheries expertise and influence Crucial to help deliver WFD objectives
Blueprint for Water A coalition of ten Fisheries and Conservation organisations: Anglers Conservation Association (now Fish Legal) S&TA Association of Rivers Trusts National Trust RSPB Waterwise Wildlife Trusts Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust WWF 10 Point Ask of Government over the future management of water and the aquatic environment Now within Wildlife & Countryside LINK 8 million members!
Blueprint Re-write for New Government S&TA taking lead on re-writing 2 Asks, working with Angling Trust: Stop Pollutants Contaminating our Water Restore Rivers from Source to Sea
Land Management Agricultural Run-off
Stillwater Pollution
Sedimentation Upland drainage Overgrazing Diffuse pollution - silt from run-off excessive Nutrients pesticides etc
Flow Regimes Excessive Water Abstraction and land drainage Unnatural spates potential downstream flooding - little water retention on land uneven flows lack of spawning and juvenile habitat lack of invertebrates - EA Itchen LIFE study loss of production S&TA Water Resources service/wfd/blueprint
Reinstate Wetlands
Catchment Management Integrated Catchment Plans Incorporating: Flood Risk Management (natural processes) Hydropower Water Resources (Abstraction) Water Quality Diffuse Pollution Agricultural Policies WFD Objectives
Valuing Ecosystem Services
Riverfly Partnership Local Monitoring Groups
Stillwater Fly Life
Angling & Fisheries Investment in the Aquatic Environment 2005 Survey on Rivers Test & Itchen showed that anglers spent 3.25m pa on fees to fish Fishery owners spent 3m on management of river, supporting 120 full/part time jobs, plus at least 0.25m into ongoing conservation projects No other sector of society can boast a similar investment in our waterways which is why we have a place at the conservation as well as fisheries table!
Fish, People, Environment Healthy rivers lead to: Good Aquatic environment, leading to: Abundant fish life (spawning + surplus), leading to: Repeat angler visits, leading to: Maximum input to local community economy, leading to: Increased investment back into aquatic environment for: Management and maintenance Habitat enhancement/conservation Fish stock protection, leading to: Continuing abundance of fish life Continuing Public Benefit
Education Future Fish - Edenstart
Scientific Research S&TA s niche is to be a campaigning charity, presenting well balanced arguments supported by sound scientific evidence Scientific reviews of Aquaculture, Abstraction, Wetlands, Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Sedimentation, Intertidal habitat Gaps in our knowledge have been identified especially sedimentation Sedimentation project with ADAS, Defra, CEH & Southampton University - 750k over 3 years Fine sediment WFD standard for water bodies Brown Trout transcriptone completion, followed by PhD on impact of environmental stressors on fish subjected to EDCs climate change Janina Gray undertaking PhD correlating angling catch statistics with flow data to better understand salmonid flow requirements water abstraction Support for GWCT at East Stoke - Hydropower monitoring project on Frome Assessing the sustainability of Atlantic Salmon across the southern part of their European range in the light of climate change and human exploitation Smolt survival in estuaries/coastal zone Poole Harbour?
The Future Integrated catchment management plans incorporating WFD delivery, hydropower, natural flood risk management, re-establishing wetlands, water resources/quality etc must be included in 2 nd WFD cycle by 2015 Abstraction ensure closure programme of damaging abstractions by 2015 Sedimentation ensure model for standard at river reach level by 2015 WFD fisheries must be integrated into WFD delivery/monitoring by 2015 Ecosystem Services achieve an accepted form of valuation by 2015 and include in all cost/benefit analyses for future WFD measures Brown Trout - rationalise wild fish protection and fisheries stocking policy Aquaculture - eradicate the negative impact of aquaculture on wild fish stocks Mixed Stock Netting stop indiscriminate exploitation of salmon stocks at sea Access mitigate public conflict between water users by championing locally brokered voluntary agreements under an appropriate regulatory framework Riverfly Partnership Anglers Monitoring Initiative integral to WFD by 2015 Business Plan achieve membership and marketing targets