Environment Agency pours rod licence income back into local projects

Monday, 5 June 2023 01:00

Rod licence money has been invested back into Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset to support 13 angling-themed projects.

Income from rod licence sales has invested more than £40,000 in improvements as part of the Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP).

Better habitats, oxygen meters and platforms for disabled anglers are some of the West Country schemes helped by the programme, which has supported 220 projects with £925,000 of funding.

Heidi Stone, Environment Agency Fisheries Manager, said: “The FIP is a great example of how rod licence income is being reinvested, resulting in sustainable fish stocks and directly benefiting angling and local communities. The programme recognises and invests in a wide programme of work to help maintain, improve and develop fisheries.

“Looking to the future, we will continue to work with our partners, angling clubs and fisheries to identify and deliver high quality projects, the more people who buy a licence and go fishing, the more we can invest in this way.”

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust - Avon Ranunculus planting

Ranunculus (also known as Water-crowfoot) is a keystone chalk stream species and an indicator of good habitat quality that provides food and shelter to many invertebrate species and, in turn, fish and other aquatic fauna.

Unfortunately, large areas of the Avon catchment lack healthy populations of water-crowfoot. The funding helped deliver a Ranunculus planting programme to create new strongholds of water-crowfoot and speed up its spread across the catchment.

Since FIP was established in 2015, over 1000 projects, have been successfully completed, with a total of nearly £7 million reinvested from fishing licence sales alone.

Every penny the Environment Agency receives in fishing licence income is reinvested to protect the sport of angling and England’s waterways. The FIP funding is also matched by local partners including angling clubs and fisheries and local trusts. Over the last year the total match funding, made up of additional cash and in-kind contributions, is estimated to be early £6.3 million.

The Environment Agency works with organisations such as the Angling Trust and Wild Trout Trust to make sure projects are carried out to their full potential and have the support they need.