OVER the last 12 months, the Environment Agency invested an impressive £1.3million of rod licence income to improve England’s fisheries.
The investment came from the EA’s Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP) and went into more than 170 projects. Alongside the usual work to improve ecology and wildlife, there were also drives to improve access for anglers themselves.
In Essex, a new fishery has been developed for military veterans suffering from PTSD. At Ranby House, on the Humber, £1,600 has been invested to improve fishing facilities for schoolchildren, while in Devon and Cornwall, £64,000 has been invested in improving fishery access for disabled anglers, as well as working with small coarse fisheries to improve access for their members.
Heidi Stone, EA Fisheries Manager, emphasised the EA’s desire to make life better for anglers.
“All of the projects we fund must demonstrate benefits for anglers,” she said. “The FIP allows us to identify and invest in work supporting a local, sustainable future for angling.”
