Our rivers may feel timeless - from chalk streams and spate rivers to quiet northern becks - but the reality on the bank tells a different story. Pollution, pressure and declining water quality are threatening the waters we love to fish. That’s why Fish Legal’s work is more important than ever.
All rivers are worth fighting for
When you fish a river in this country, you quickly realise what a fragile and precious thing it is...
- A chalkstream bubbling clear through a Hampshire meadow.
- A West Country spate river alive with the hope of a salmon or sea trout.
- A Yorkshire beck where wild brown trout rise freely.
These waters feel timeless. Yet as anyone who follows the news, or simply spends time by the bank, will know, they are under greater pressure than ever before.
That’s why, as Chief Executive of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal, I want to take this opportunity to update you on the work Fish Legal has been doing on behalf of anglers everywhere, and to share why every river really does count.
A MOMENT OF CHANGE
This summer marked the end of an era for Fish Legal. After 18 years of extraordinary leadership, Penny Gane stepped down as our Practice Leader. Penny was a formidable advocate for rivers and a guiding hand for the legal team, and her contribution to our success over nearly two decades cannot be overstated.
We are fortunate to have a strong team of lawyers continuing Penny’s legacy. They remain focused on the same mission that has always defined Fish Legal: using the law to protect and restore the waters we all care about. As we look to the future, our priority is to ensure that this work is not only sustained but strengthened for the years ahead.
THE COSTA BECK CASE - A LANDMARK VICTORY
Perhaps the clearest example of why Fish Legal matters came earlier this year with the stunning success in the Costa Beck case.
For years, anglers and local communities had raised concerns about untreated sewage discharges into this small North Yorkshire river, a tributary of the Derwent. Once famed for its wild trout fishing, the stream had become choked with sewage and overflow detritus. While the Environment Agency and the government turned a blind eye and failed to put in place adequate plans to restore rivers and lakes, Fish Legal acted- taking the case all the way to the High Court and then the Court of Appeal– and won.
The judgment was unequivocal: the government’s approach to tackling all forms pollution in the river – including from storm overflows and sediment - had been unlawful and river plans inadequate. The ruling not only vindicated years of hard work but also set a legal precedent that strengthens protections for rivers nationwide.
Fish Legal is the only organisation in the UK that takes polluters, whether they are water companies, landowners, or public authorities to court on behalf of our members – anglers. And victories like this matter not just for the rivers in question, but for every angler who values healthy waters.
OTHER BATTLES WE’RE FIGHTING
Costa Beck has rightly drawn attention, but it is far from the only front in this fight.
- In Wales, we are supporting members in challenging damaging slurry spreading practices that threaten fish in Welsh rivers.
- We are also pressing for tougher regulation of anaerobic digesters, which produce digestate that, when mismanaged, can devastate waterways.
- And everywhere, we are dealing with the consequences of sewage discharge, agricultural run-off, industrial pollution, road run-off, abstraction pressures, and, too often, regulatory failure.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of these issues. But the truth is that Fish Legal makes a difference. Case by case, catchment by catchment, we’re building a body of law and precedent that makes polluters think twice and forces the government to act.
WHY ANGLERS’ VOICES MATTER
None of this would be possible without anglers. It is often anglers who first spot the tell-tale signs of pollution: dead fish, discoloured water, strange smells. It is anglers who know their rivers intimately enough to recognise when something isn’t right. And it is anglers who stand up and say: this must not be allowed to continue.
Fish Legal translates those concerns into legal action. We provide the expertise, resources and determination to hold polluters to account. But the foundation is always the passion and knowledge of our members.
That’s why I believe our community is uniquely powerful. We are not outsiders commenting from the sidelines; we are participants in the life of rivers, with a direct stake in their future.
EVERY RIVER COUNTS
You may have seen our Every River Counts campaign. It sums up our philosophy: that no river is too small, too remote, or too ordinary to matter. Every beck, burn, brook, and stream contributes to the health of the wider system. Every angling club that fishes its local water is part of a much bigger picture.
Through this campaign, we are building support that allows Fish Legal to continue its work – not just reacting to pollution after it happens, but creating the deterrent that stops it in the first place.
LOOKING AHEAD
As we head into autumn and winter seasons, I am struck by both the challenges and the opportunities before us. We are entering a new chapter at Fish Legal. Our focus is on strengthening the legal capacity of our team and ensuring we remain ready to take on the cases that matter most.
Just as important is strengthening our community of supporters. Fish Legal’s impact depends not only on the lawyers who take polluters to court, but on the anglers and clubs who stand behind them.
I want to thank Farlows and its customers for giving us space to tell these stories. Many of you are already members of the Angling Trust and supporters of Fish Legal. If so, thank you. If not, I would ask you simply to learn more about our work. The Costa Beck judgment shows just how much can be achieved when anglers come together behind the law.
Every river counts. Every angler’s voice counts. And together, we can ensure that the waters we love today are protected for the generations who will follow.
Learn more about Fish Legal’s work and how you can support the Every River Counts campaign!
