The Anglers’ Conservation Association (ACA) is delighted to report that it has secured £10,000 in damages for the Bentham Angling Association from a trout farmer for damage caused to a wild brown trout fishery on the River Wenning on the Lancashire /
In addition, the ACA has compelled the farmer to co-operate in and pay for the Environment Agency to remove any rainbow trout in the affected stretches of the Wenning. The farmer has also been forced to agree that the ACA can, at his expense, send experts into the farm at 24 hours notice should significant numbers of rainbows appear in the BAA’s waters at any time over the next ten years.
Guy Linley-Adams, solicitor at the ACA said: “rainbow trout have their place in stocked still waters and provide great fishing for many anglers, but when they escape into rivers they can cause havoc with wild fish populations. In this case, huge numbers of rainbows were being caught downstream of the defendant’s farm and we had no hesitation in issuing legal proceedings on behalf of the ACA member club.”
Generally, the ACA now has more active cases than at any point in its 58 year history. Claims currently being made on behalf of ACA member clubs against polluters are valued at over £2 million. Whatever the ACA wins for its members is ploughed straight back into angling. The ACA’s in-house legal team has just increased its capacity, welcoming Dr Justin Neal as assistant solicitor.
Mark Lloyd, Executive Director at the ACA said: “This success demonstrates why all angling clubs, fishery owners and syndicates should become members of the ACA. Only by joining the Association can they benefit from our unique legal expertise in fisheries and pollution matters, completely free of charge and at no risk to themselves. We would love to be able to follow up all damage to fisheries with legal action and take steps to prevent it happening again, but we can only act for our members.”
Notes to Editors:
· The ACA was founded in 1948 with the purpose of using the law to fight to protect fisheries.
· Since that time, the ACA has won in excess of two thousand cases and recovered many millions of pounds in damages, which is returned to the members the ACA represents. Throughout our history, we have lost only three cases. At any one time, we typically have about fifty to sixty cases running and give clubs legal advice across the entire range of angling matters.
· Clubs wishing to join the ACA should phone 01568 620447 during office hours or download a subscription form from the web site: www.a-c-a.org
· The ACA’s Annual Report is available on request.
· Contact point: Mark Lloyd (Director).
Telephone: 01568 620447
e-mail: mark@a-c-a.org
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