Corporate report

Fisheries annual report 2020 to 2021

Published 12 January 2022

Applies to England

A number of the work areas covered in this report have been affected directly or indirectly by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many of the Environment Agency’s and its partners’ main operational activities were either reduced or stopped as England entered lockdown in March 2020. And then subsequently with the continuation of social distancing requirements. This is reflected in some of the figures when compared to previous years’ reports, especially for monitoring and enforcement.

1. What we’ve done with our resources

During the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 we sold 1,090,068 fishing licences. This generated an income of £24,583,342. We also received £1,100,000 grant-in-aid (GiA) from central government.

With this money we were able to:

• check 17,106 fishing licences
• make 340 successful prosecutions
• attend 391 fisheries incidents involving dead or dying fish
• carry out 119 fish stock surveys
• supply and stock 489,165 coarse fish
• work with about 1,200 different project partners
• invest over £33,000,000 in projects that will benefit fisheries - this included funding from the Water Environment Improvement Fund, partners’ contributions and additional government funding
• complete 45 fish pass solutions
• open up or improve habitats for fish on 575 kilometres (km) of rivers
• enhance 153 hectares (ha) of stillwater fisheries

2. The activities we’ve spent the money on

We provided 30.3% of income to deliver work in all of our 14 areas. This includes monitoring, enforcement, fish stocking, fish rescues, responding to incidents and providing fisheries advice.

We have contributed 23.2% of our income towards the fisheries project portfolio. This includes funding the partnership work we do with other organisations. Examples of these are the Angling Trust, the Wild Trout Trust (WTT) and the local rivers trusts plus many others. It also includes funding angling and fisheries improvement projects.

We have invested 19.4% of our income on support services. These include the costs of IT infrastructure, finance, corporate services and human resources.

We have spent 18.1% on national services. We aim to be efficient and get these activities right first time – licence sales, administration and prosecutions. This expenditure also covers the costs of the National Fisheries Laboratory, contributions to our National Customer Contact Centre, Estates and Fleet Operations.

We’ve used 9.0% to support government and input to the strategic direction for achieving our fisheries priority outcomes. This includes the costs of our national fisheries team.

3. Fishing licence sales and income

This graph shows the total sales and total income from 2020 to 2021.

In the previous decade up until the financial year 2019 to 2020, the number of people that went fishing and bought licences had declined each year. This led to a fall in our fishing licence income by approximately 12% and a drop in licence sales by over a third. As income and sales declined, we have had less money to spend on our fisheries work. However, we have managed to restrict the effects of this through efficiency savings and better partnership working. During that period we increased prices just once in 2017. We deliberately kept prices low to encourage angling and not make it cost prohibitive.

In 2020 to 2021 COVID-19 affected society. As the country entered ‘lockdown’ in March 2020 the ‘Stay at home’ messaging and policy effectively put an end to the majority of outdoor sporting activities, including most fishing. Fishing was one of the first activities to be allowed back on a wider scale when lockdown restrictions were eased on 13 May. Angling then experienced a recovery in participation rates. Subsequently in the financial year 2020 to 2021 we sold 1,090,068 licences to 958,279 individual anglers. This represented an increase of 17% on fishing licence sales and generated £24,583,342 in income.

This additional income was spent in the following areas:

• habitat and angler access improvements (Fisheries Improvement Programme)
• encouraging people to go fishing (The Get Fishing Fund)
• National Fisheries Laboratory
• Calverton Fish Farm
• fisheries research and monitoring equipment
• improvements to the digital fishing licensing service

4. How partnerships help us achieve our objectives

By working in partnership with other like-minded groups and organisations we can often achieve more with our money and deliver better fisheries outcomes.

We worked with over 1,200 partners in 2020 to 2021. These include the:

• Angling Trust
• WTT
• Institute of Fisheries Management
• Riverfly Partnership
• local river trusts, angling clubs, charities and others

The work we do with partners includes:

• undertaking projects to improve fish stocks and habitats
• providing new facilities for anglers and making fisheries more accessible
• promoting angling and giving more people the opportunity to try fishing
• joined up enforcement and intelligence sharing

The Angling Trust

We commission the Angling Trust to carry out certain activities to improve and develop angling under our National Angling Strategic Services (NASS) contract. The service is worth about £1.35 million per year. The current contract was awarded in 2019, following competitive tender, and will run for 4 years until 31 March 2023. During 2020 to 2021 we proceeded on a quarterly basis identifying targets and costs as the lockdown situation changed.

One of the main objectives is to increase the number of people fishing and buying a licence. COVID-19 influenced the number of ‘Get Fishing’ events organised during the year. The large scale taster events were replaced by smaller sessions run by clubs and fisheries at COVID-safe venues. This influenced total numbers but we believe that the quality of these events led to many people getting a truly enjoyable experience of fishing. In 2020 the Get Fishing Award was successfully launched. New anglers attended 3 days and progressed through bronze, silver and gold levels which will lead to many more becoming lifelong anglers.

In 2020 to 2021 the Angling Trust was supported by many delivery partners most notably the Canal and River Trust and Get Hooked on Fishing to run:

• 495 angling participation events
• resulting in 4,696 people trying fishing for the first time

This year also saw the relaunch of the Take a Friend Fishing initiative in association with the Angling Trust and the Angling Trades Association. In total 3,042 people registered for a fishing licence holder to take a friend fishing for a day free of charge! They also trained a number of people who help introduce people to angling. This included 211 new Level 1 licensed coaches.

Of these, 150 received an Environment Agency bursary to help with the cost of the course. Unfortunately all planned continual professional development courses along with Level 2 courses were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. In order to satisfy the demand for coach training opportunities during the first lockdown period, a new online Level 1 course was successfully developed and rolled out.

In 2020 to 2021 the Get Fishing Fund was launched to support clubs and fisheries restart angling participation events after lockdown. In total 122 grants were awarded totaling £226,000. There were wide ranging benefits from this investment notably mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

In total the angling participation programme of work has been possible with an estimated £800,000 match funding.

The way the Angling Trust engaged with anglers changed during COVID-19. It was not possible to hold face to face fisheries forums so instead online events were developed. Eight virtual meetings were held between November 2020 and March 2021 covering a broad range of topics. This included invasive non-native species and how to maintain an otter exclusion fence on a stillwater fishery.

A significant development in response to COVID-19 was the creation of the Fishing Buzz website. Its concept was to provide a way to keep anglers engaged with their ‘fishing habit’ during the first lockdown. It has since evolved into a main way of delivering high quality angling content to all types of anglers. In 2020 to 2021:

• 887 items of content have been published
• the website has been accessed over 212,000 times
• that led to 697,000 page views

In 2020 to 2021 we saw large increases in angler engagement via social media. A minimum of 6 Environment Agency related items were posted per quarter on the main Angling Trust Facebook page. In 2021 to 2022 the:

• site increased it followers from 24,000 to 84,000
• total reach was over 32 million
• total engagement was nearly 2 million

The 6 regional Angling Trust pages that predominantly feature Environment Agency information have also grown. In 2020 to 2021 the:

• total followers increased from 8,222 to 11,416
• total reach was over 1 million
• total engagement was 55,000

Other social media platforms increased during 2020 to 2021:

• articles on the Lines on the Water blog were read over 150,000 times (compared to 50,000 in 2019 to 2020)
• Instagram followers rose from 1,300 to 8,427
• Twitter followers rose by 20%

As part of the predation control advisory work the Angling Trust responded to 1,204 requests – an increase of 36% compared to 2019 to 2020. This included attending meetings, site visits and telephone or email contact. In addition:

• they responded to 14 requests to help remove otters from fisheries
• supported 20 area-based cormorant control licences with a further 4 in progress – these licences cover a wider area in a catchment and are not specific to a particular fishery

Input to wider environmental benefits in 2020 to 2021 included:

• increase to 800 ANLRS (Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme) recycling bins in tackle shops and at large fisheries for unwanted fishing line
• new invasive non-native species materials were made available to raise awareness amongst anglers and fishery owners – 530 clubs and fisheries have received copies

WTT

We have enjoyed many productive years of working together with the WTT. Our joint aim is to involve people and communities in conservation. This includes enhancing the natural environment, especially our rivers, their trout and other wildlife.

The impact of COVID-19 saw the majority of WTT staff furloughed between April and June 2020, our joint agreement restarted in July.

We contributed £67,500 to fund advisory work and £31,700 for project costs. In 2020 to 2021 they have:

• carried out 56 advisory visits and reports of recommendations for habitat improvement work
• delivered 19 practical (or virtual) river improvement projects attended by over 400 people
• worked to enhance directly 113.65km of rivers across England
• provided effective and widespread dissemination of relevant conservation messages through a variety of media
• ‘Mayfly in the Classroom’ proved to be a popular education project working with a number of schools
• generated £997,000 co-funding (cash and in-kind) towards the partnership (this represents a 1:10 gearing for our investment)

The Riverfly Partnership

The Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a citizen science initiative. Volunteers are trained to carry out standardised monitoring of aquatic invertebrates in rivers. They do this monthly and use it to assess water quality.

The ARMI is hosted by the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA). The impact of COVID-19 saw the majority of FBA staff furloughed between April and September 2020; our working agreement restarted in October.

We provided the Riverfly Partnership £32,941 funding.

In 2020 to 2021 volunteer effort was restricted but they have:

• uploaded 3,778 survey records to ARMI database
• 394 active samplers
• 757 sites monitored across 349 rivers and 105 catchments
• 197 trigger level alerts (indicating a possible pollution impact) passed on
• generated £892,761 in match funding

5. Improvement projects

There are 2 types of projects funded directly by fishing licence income, they are:

• Angling Improvement Fund (AIF) projects managed by the Angling Trust through the NASS contract
• Fisheries Improvements Programme (FIP) projects managed by local Environment Agency teams

In addition, benefits to fisheries were provided by other projects carried out by the Environment Agency. Most notably the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) that delivered Water Framework Directive outcomes funded as grant-in-aid from central government.

In total we spent just over £1.5 million of rod licence income and £33 million of other funding in projects to improve fisheries.

Angling Improvement Fund (AIF projects)

Forty seven projects were completed during the year to protect fisheries from predation by otters and cormorants.

The funding for AIF projects came from:

• licence income – £201,600
• match funding including cash from partners, match funding grants or the ‘in kind’ time of volunteers – £402,066

See the map for locations of the AIF projects.

Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP) projects

One hundred and seventy two projects were completed during the year. Working with around 200 partners we improved 37km of rivers and 123ha of stillwaters. Eight fish passes were constructed and 2 barriers to fish movements were removed. Around half the projects delivered improved angler access to fisheries especially at stillwater venues.

The funding of FIP projects came from:

• fishing licence income – £1,250,000
• match funding – £1,024,000 (made up of £412,000 partner cash, £306,000 partner in-kind and £306,000 external funding)

See the map for locations of the FIP projects.

We also invested in equipment to protect fisheries from prolonged dry weather (drought conditions). Water meters to monitor dissolved oxygen and aerators to prevent fish deaths will reduce the number of incidents across the country. The total spend was just over £100,000.

WEIF

Projects are typically organised through catchment partnerships. Habitat improvements can benefit fish and fisheries.

Working with 913 partners we improved 538km of rivers and 30ha of stillwaters. Forty five fish passes were built or barriers removed.

The funding for WEIF projects was:

• £10.6 million from Environment Agency funding (not fishing licence income)
• £20.8 million from match funding

6. Coarse fish stocking

We run a coarse fish hatchery at Calverton near Nottingham. This is funded by fishing licence income. This rears fish to help:

• replenish stocks after an environmental incident
• kick-start the recovery of fisheries after they have recovered from long term issues, for example pollution

In 2020 to 2021 we have stocked 489,165 fish into rivers and stillwaters around the country. This was made up of the following species:

• barbel – 134,610
• bream – 59,194
• chub – 47,336
• dace – 72,250
• roach – 81,816
• crucian carp – 20,600
• tench – 14,900
• rudd – 19,159
• grayling – 39,300

These are one- or two-year-old fish. In addition we also stocked 1,415,000 fish larvae.

7. National fisheries laboratory

We operate a fisheries laboratory in Brampton which is funded by fishing licence income.

This laboratory carries out vital work to:

• regulate fish movements (stocking and removal of freshwater fish)
• issue commercial licences for setting nets or traps for eels or elvers, crayfish and smelt
• collate rod catch returns from salmon and sea trout anglers
• check the health status of fish stocks to minimise the risk of spreading fish diseases
• support the Fish Health Inspectorate of Cefas with national surveillance for notifiable diseases, including the reporting of disease suspicion and confirmation of positive results from our mortality investigations
• conduct ongoing surveillance of new and emerging disease threats in fisheries including, assessing the age and growth of fish populations

In 2020 to 2021 the laboratory:

• assessed 110 fish mortality events related to potential fish disease incidents
• carried out full fish disease diagnostic investigations into fish kills at 24 fisheries:
  • we detected the Novel parasite, Argulus mongolianus
  • we co-ordinated national reports of Red Skin Disease in wild Atlantic salmon
  • we monitored and advised on the regulatory control of Carp Edema Virus (CEV) in carp fisheries
• carried out 22 health checks in support of fish movements to support stocking and minimise disease risk
• carried out 9 laboratory investigations to support national projects for high priority species or risks to fisheries, for example critical eel passage
• examined 2,448 sets of fish scales to determine the age structure and performance of fish populations, including still waters
• carried out 30 additional age surveys in support of fish health examinations, in relation to fish disease incidents
• provided expert support for the identification, management and risk assessment of 3 priority non-native fish species
• responded to over 500 queries in support of national incidents, fishery management advice and guidance
• loaned essential laboratory equipment in support of the government’s response to COVID-19
• issued 1,728 Section 27A authorisations to remove fish and crayfish
• issued 671 permits to introduce and or keep fish
• issued 124 commercial salmon and sea trout licences
• issued 149 commercial elver licences
• issued 46 commercial eel licences
• collated and reported on 19,603 salmon and sea trout rod catch returns

8. Enforcement

We make sure anglers comply with regulations to protect fish stocks, such as during the close season.

We have:

• checked 17,106 fishing licences
• issued 867 offence reports
• prosecuted 340 anglers for fishing without a licence – it can take up to 6 months to bring a case to prosecution and so the number of prosecutions do not necessarily reflect the number of people issued offence reports during this financial year

The percentage of anglers who do not buy a licence and get caught by our enforcement officers is 4.91%. In total £50,771 was issued in penalties against anglers over the year. The average penalty received was £146.

An integral part of our enforcement activity is the Fisheries Enforcement Support Service (FESS) provided by the Angling Trust. This includes the Voluntary Bailiff Service which operates across all of England with a total of 524 volunteers, as of 31 March 2021.

Voluntary bailiffs:

• did 11,604 patrols
• gave 25,621 volunteer hours on the bank
• carried out 61 joint patrols with the Environment Agency
• carried out 42 joint patrols with the police
• submitted 262 incidents – reported to the Environment Agency
• submitted 255 incidents – reported to the police
• submitted 131 incidents – reported to other agencies (local authorities and so on)
• submitted 386 intelligence logs to the Environment Agency and or police

Forty one police forces have joined up to Operation Leviathan and Traverse initiatives as part of FESS.

9. Incident response

We attended 391 incidents involving dead or dying fish. These incidents included:

Type of incident	Number of incidents	Percentage of total incidents
Pollution	15	3.84%
Fish disease	25	6.39%
Warm or dry weather or algae	175	44.76%
Illegal fishing	34	8.70%
Fishery management	7	1.79%
Other causes	39	9.97%
Not identified	96	24.55%

10. Monitoring

Monitoring of fish populations helps us to:

• inform our management decisions
• report on the Water Framework Directive (to show the state of the water environment)

We undertake surveys either every year, 2 years, 3 years or 6 years. The repeat frequency depends on why we are collecting information at the site. Not every water body is monitored for fish as we prioritise those with angling interest and those considered at most risk.

During 2020 to 2021 we did 119 fish stock surveys. This is greatly reduced from the 1,521 surveys carried out in 2019 to 2020. This is because of the direct affect of COVID-19 on operational activities.

Waterbody status for fish as indicated by these and previous years surveys and other data showed:

• 41% – good or better
• 28% – moderate
• 24% – poor
• 7% – bad

We also use our fisheries monitoring to assess the status of migratory fish stocks in our main salmon and sea trout rivers. We employ a range of fish counters and also use rod catch data to make these assessments.

In 2020, we assessed that:

• 37 out of our 42 main salmon rivers are ‘at risk’ or ‘probably at risk’
• 4 were ‘probably not at risk’
• 1 was categorised as ‘not at risk’

Salmon populations in England remain in a critical state.

For the 44 main sea trout rivers, we classified:

• 6 ‘not at risk’
• 13 ‘probably not at risk’
• 22 rivers were ‘probably at risk’
• 3 were ‘at risk’

See the map showing the status of salmon and sea trout rivers.

The declared salmon rod catch for England was 9,520 salmon, which is 24% higher than 2019 (7,674).

The declared sea trout rod catch in England was 11,881, which is 3% higher than 2019 (11,531).

We report all data for salmon and sea trout in The Annual Assessment of Salmon Stocks and Fisheries in England and Wales. You can find information on rod catches from individual rivers in our Salmonid and freshwater fisheries statistics reports for England and Wales.

11. Research and development

Our research and development programme helps to make sure we have a rigorous evidence base to support risk-based decision making and deliver sustainable fisheries management.

In 2020 to 2021, we undertook a range of scientific work to address the main evidence gaps and improve our understanding of issues affecting fish populations. Where possible, we work in partnership with our partners to deliver shared research objectives more cost-effectively.

We have listed the national projects undertaken by the Research, Analysis and Evaluation team (now Chief Scientist’s Group) under the fisheries research and development programme. This includes projects completed in 2020 to 2021 and work still ongoing. A list of publications relating to recent and past projects is available on GOV.UK.

• Strategic review of data and information on coarse fish in rivers – detailed examination of fishery survey data from a number of rivers is continuing, selected rivers include the Thames, Yorkshire Dales rivers, 3 Fenland drain systems, Bristol Avon, Soar, Wensum, Waveney and Suffolk Stour.

• Review of Salmon stock Assessment methodologies – joint work with Cefas, Natural Resources Wales and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to refine all aspects of salmon stock assessment methodology and management decision structures in response to challenges to our management approaches from external stakeholders.

• Beavers and fish – the Natural England led project on beaver impacts on fish and fisheries was completed in 2020 – we continue to advise on proposed new research on interactions.

• Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for fish sampling – we are advising on the use of eDNA for various fisheries-related purposes due to growing interest in the methodology and ongoing academic research.

• Natural capital value of inland fisheries – we advised and contributed to this project led by the Rivers Trust – the national natural capital value for fisheries report produced complements our earlier Survey of Freshwater Angling in England R&D from 2018.

We also have a ’watching brief‘ on a variety of other research areas relevant to fisheries including:

• endocrine disruption in fish
• microplastics research
• climate change
• fish and eel passage and protection
• impacts of light on fish