EA urge anglers to have their say on consulatation

The area, called the Humber River Basin, includes all the rivers,ground water and coastal waters within 26,000 square kilometres – mostof which drain into the Humber Estuary.

Stretching from the North York Moors to Birmingham, and from thePennines to the North Sea and Stoke-on-Trent to Rutland. It includesmajor cities such as Leeds and Sheffield, and is home to more than 10.8million people.

The consultation is a result of new European regulation called theWater Framework Directive which requires waters in England and Wales toachieve certain standards by 2015.

England and Wales has been divided into 11 river basins for the purposeof the Water Framework Directive, and the Humber River Basin is thesecond largest.

The regulations require better protection and improvements to rivers,lakes, groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters, wiser use of water asa natural resource and the creation of healthy ecosystems for wildlife.

The consultation closes on 24 January, 2008, and the actions thatpeople and organisations will have to take will be outlined in a draftmanagement plan to be published in December 2008.

Water Framework Directive programme manager Viki Hirst said: “Water isessential for our life and livelihoods and we want to protect andimprove our water environment by working in partnership with people andorganisations.

“River Basin Planning is a new approach and we will all need to worktogether to create a comprehensive range of successful measures totackle some difficult issues. We want to find cost effective andinnovative solutions, dealing with pollution at source where possibleand making sure that everyone plays their part.

“I hope that people will take this opportunity to get involved, andhave a say in this consultation.”

The consultation, called Significant Water Management Issues,identifies the key pressures facing the Humber river basin. Theseinclude pollution from urban and rural areas, water abstraction, loss ofhabitat and non-native invasive species such as signal crayfish.

People can complete the consultation online atwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/wfd. By using the online consultationpeople will also be able to see responses from other people and allowpeople to see their response if they wish.

Alternatively, write to Viki Hirst, Rivers House, 21 Park Square South,Leeds LS1 2QG or call the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506 to requesta copy.