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How the EA spent £48million on fisheries PLUS River Severn dam plan scrapped
ANEW Environment Agency report shows that a whopping £48 million has been invested into angling to help the sport to grow.
The figures come from the EA’s Annual Fisheries Report, which shows that it used the money generated from rod licence sales as well as Government grants to undertake a wealth of projects, including stocking of over half a million fish into our lakes and rivers, installing dozens of fish passes to help migratory species, and helping to protect fisheries from predation and otters. Around £20 million of the total was raised by rod licence sales, of which 940,974 were sold in the year to March 31, 2020. This was supplemented by a further £28 million in partner contributions and additional Government funding.
Kevin Austin, Deputy Director for Fisheries at the EA, urged anglers to continue their support of the EA by purchasing a licence for the new season ahead: “Income from licence sales is used to fund vital work to improve and protect our fisheries and fish.
“Income generated is invested directly back into the angling community, improving fish stocks, boosting opportunities for anglers as well as working with partners to make it easier for anyone to take up fishing.”
With an estimated 100,000 people having taken up angling since lockdown began, the EA’s coffers are expected to swell further in the current financial year, and the Agency is planning an increase in spending on projects that benefit anglers and fisheries
following the boom in licence sales. This includes further investment in fisheries improvement, events to boost participation, and added protection against predators.
Heidi Stone, the EA’s Fisheries Partnership Manager, is hopeful that fishing’s popularity will continue to soar. “In 2020, we saw an exceptional increase in licence sales as people rediscovered fishing,” she said. “We anticipate that fishing will continue to be popular after bringing such benefits to people’s mental and physical wellbeing.”