Labour’s Angling Spokesman, Martin Salter MP, has welcomed the announcement today that, despite the loss of 1400 jobs, and cuts in funding for many programmes, the Grant in Aid (GIA) to the Environment Agency for fisheries work has been ring-fenced at the same level as last year.

The fisheries budget is one of the few areas to avoid the axe caused by increased expenditure for the department following last year’s outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and bluetongue. Other programmes experiencing significant cuts included the Waste and Resources Action Programme, British Waterways and Natural England.

Martin Salter said:

“I have been lobbying furiously on behalf of Britain’s anglers and have raised the issue of the mismatch between licence fee income and government Grant-in-Aid for fisheries work on no less than three occasions in Parliament in recent months. I am delighted that Fisheries Minister, Jonathan Shaw has listening to the anglers’ case and that the important fisheries work of the Environment Agency can carry on.”

Overall funding for the Environment Agency has been increased in a number of areas with an extra £ 4 million on environmental protection and £ 49 million for flood protection work.

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