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Waterway pollution battle goes to Whitehall
Dead fish in the brown waters of the Leeds Liverpool canal at Gathurst
A SPATE of river pollutions and huge fish kills in Wigan is to be raised with the Government.
Chief executive of the Angling Trust Mark Lloyd, the sport’s new unifying body, says the incidents in Wigan will be high on the agenda when he meets fisheries minister Richard Benyon later this month.
They were a major item of discussion at the inaugural meeting of the trust’s regional forum in Lancaster attended by some 60 of the region’s top angling and fisheries executives.
Other issues the trust will be taking up with the minister will be Environment Agency’s controversial decision to close its Leyland coarse fish hatchery, anti-angling councils, disability issues and enhanced fines for polluters.
Secretary of Lancashire Fisheries Consultative Association and a member of North West Region Fisheries Consultative Council John Weedon, of Abram, raised the worrying numbers of serious pollutions.
The 66-year-old says he was thinking of retiring from the angling watchdog but his concerns about pollution have now made him think again.
Mr Weedon said: “I had a good chat with Mark who impressed me. He agreed that fines are too low.
“I have had to react because the many anglers I speak to said the £12,000 imposed on United Utilities for the River Douglas pollution last year and £10,000 on the company for a similar incident on Hey Brook at Abram and Platt Bridge, part of the River Glaze catchment, were a joke.
“The Glaze at Leigh has suffered two big incidents in the last couple of years, so now angry anglers can see their case is going right to the very top and something is being done on their behalf.
“Serial polluters have caused great concern to the trust’s top brass. I will be canvassing opinion from my colleagues all over the region over what amount fines should be, and in support of my colleagues in Ribble Fisheries Consultative Association, who thought of the idea, we believe that fines imposed in the catchment should stay in the catchment to pay for improvements
“If you are angler and as grumpy as me, feel free to have your say and stay grumpy!
“Because I need to consult so many people, nothing will happen for up to a year and I cannot appear prejudicial to any prosecutions that may be pending.”
Mr Weedon says that in the 45 years of being at the “heartbeat” of North West fishing he has never known so many incidents.
Recent pollutions include the River Douglas, Scot Lane New Pool and, last week, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal’s Gathurst length.
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
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