ROB HUGHES hits out at litter louts
“Anglers are not to blame for most of the litter on our watercourses”
THE scenes on the River Severn around Shrewsbury recently were shocking. Litter everywhere, and people in and out of the river and surrounding fields not caring about any damage they caused.
Shrewsbury Angling Club (SAC) was left to pick up the pieces and clear up the mess, which members did admirably. Not only did they clear up the problem, but they took it a step further and raised awareness of the issue in the local community. The result? Local papers and news agencies picked up on the story, took up the issue with the fine people of Shrewsbury and surrounding areas, and the club was applauded for its good work. The following weekend the banks were left much tidier, with the added benefit that angling was seen to be at the heart of the solution not the problem – for once.
How often does Joe Public look at angling as being a cause of problems rather than a cure? It’s stories like this that make non-anglers look at us with more sympathetic eyes.
We know that the majority of us are involved in angling due to our love for the outdoors, not a complete disregard for it. We are not to blame for most of the litter on our watercourses, especially rivers, but sadly we often have the finger pointed at us.
One length of fishing line gets dropped unwittingly and we’re in the news. How lovely to see us up there for the right reasons. Well done Shrewsbury AC!