Saddleworth AA, a member of the Mersey and Weaver Fisheries and Angling Consultative, is celebrating a successful outcome to a longstanding problem following help from the north-west Consultative and NAFAC.

The club had been trying for almost five years to stock some hream in a section of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal which it rents from British Waterways.

However, the Environment Agency officers ruled that because there was “hydrological continuity” with a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Importance) – even though it was several miles and locks away, stocking could not be considered unless the club could prove stocks were below 200 kilo per hectare.

The club was unable to make any progress and in desperation turned to the Consultative which asked NAFAC Executive chairman, Martin Read, to help. Martin asked the EA to clarify the position on the issues raised by the matter. These have yet to be fully clarified but the EA has accepted that it might have been too strict in this instance and now granted the club permission to restock. Needless to say Saddleworth AA was delighted with the result and is now contacting fish suppliers for an early delivery.

Notes:
The National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives (NAFAC) is the national body of local and regional fisheries and angling consultatives (stakeholder groups) that together represent the views of over 400,000 anglers and others with an interest in our fisheries.

The Mersey and Weaver Fisheries and Angling Consultative Association (MWFACA) is a local Consultative representing over 20 Angling Clubs in the catchment of the River Mersey and River Weaver in the Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester Area. It is a long-standing member of NAFAC.

Visit www.nafac.co.uk for more information about NAFAC.