Building Bridges  Thanks to funding from the Environment Agency fishing licence sales, the Angling Trust’s Building Bridges Project regularly attends schools to teach youngsters about safe and legal fishing, and their most recent visit exceeded all expectations. The Ukrainian School in Nottingham were excited to welcome the team as they presented to youngsters, many of whom have recently fled the war in Ukraine. Including a mixture of fun but educational presentations and games, as well as an art competition, it was amazing to see the joy and laughter brought to these young people, with lots of positive engagement, enthusiasm and questions asked throughout…including from the parents and teachers. There are already plans in place to take the families fishing at a lake, and the Building Bridges team are very excited to build on these new relationships within the Ukrainian community. Reaching out to new communities is essential and the demand for support is at an all-time high, with people eager to try fishing in a fun and safe environment. Find out more Free enforcement webinars  Calling all anglers! Here is an opportunity to attend online Angling Trust Fisheries Enforcement Webinars for free. These webinars are aimed at all anglers and will cover key legislation relating to freshwater fisheries enforcement, best practice for club bailiffs, the work of the Building Bridges team to educate and integrate migrant anglers, and the importance of reporting incidents and intelligence to the Environment Agency. Real-life scenarios will be included to build understanding of the role anglers can play. There are great presenters lined up with a wealth of experience and there will be lots of opportunities for audience members to get involved on the day with Q&A sessions built into the programme. 7pm-9pm Tuesday 28th January 2025 – Register here 10am-12pm Saturday 1st March 2025 – Register here New flood warning service  For almost 30 years, the Environment Agency has provided flood warnings to communities across England. With over 1.6 million people receiving our alerts, we’re now modernising the service for 2025 with a new warning system and an improved registration process on GOV.UK. Want to help shape this vital service? We’re looking for people to test it from mid-February before our wider launch. You’ll be among the first to try the new service and your feedback will help us make it even better. If you’re interested, complete our Expression of Interest form below and we’ll be in touch with next steps. Register here Barbel fitted with trackers stocked into the Severn  The West Midlands Environment Agency’s Fisheries Team is expanding its angler-driven citizen science study to explore whether stocking barbel in larger rivers, such as the River Severn, can enhance fish stock health and create more opportunities for anglers. The team is taking an innovative approach this year by collaborating with anglers and academic partners to trial advanced tracking technology. Receivers in the river monitor barbel movements and provide long-term data on fish caught by anglers. The insights gained from this study aim to improve understanding of barbel behaviour and population dynamics, contributing to better fisheries management and angling effort. Find out more Co-founder of the Avon Roach Project awarded in the King’s New Year’s Honours list  Trevor Harrop, co-founder of The Avon Roach Project has received a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for his services to angling. Nominated by the Environment Agency, Trevor set up the ground-breaking project in 2005 with his close friend Budgie Price (who recently passed away) following an EA survey of the Hampshire Avon, which revealed that the roach population was absent or in decline in many stretches of the river. The project aimed to restore the roach population to the Hampshire Avon, which Trevor did by developing new techniques to restore stocks and manage habitats. His impact extends beyond the Avon with his techniques adopted in other UK rivers. Find out more |