The Water Framework Directive

The very title seems designed to cause eyes to glaze over immediately, and attention to wander to more interesting things.

But anglers, including Recreational Sea Anglers, in fact anyone with an interest in the coastal environment, would be wrong to let their attention wander and not keep an eye on the inevitable developments that will follow the implementation of the directive.

Because in our estuaries, and out to 1 nautical mile (in fact the anglers' 'Golden Mile'), the Framework doesn't just deal with water quality, but also the health of the populations of the creatures, including fish, that live in that zone.

In fact one of the Key Issues listed by the EA is:

"Over-fishing of some species, particularly migratory and marine stocks"

Anyone with an eye to working towards a better future for our inshore stocks, and the Development of our Recreational Sea Fisheries, will need to understand both the opportunities and possible restrictions that implementation of the Directive by the Environment Agency will bring.

The place to start is on the EA website at:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wfd