Angling Trust Demand Government Action on Chemical Pollution

Angling Trust and 20 other high profile organisations have written a joint letter to Rebecca Pow MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defra, demanding that the UK must set out policies and a chemicals management system that properly protects people, wildlife, and our environment from the harms of chemical pollution. 

Chemicals released into our auquatic environment pose a significant threat to our fish population, the overall bio-diversity of our rivers, lakes and oceans, and threaten the health of everyone.

The UN cited pollution as one of the five key drivers of biodiversity loss, the Lancet Commission found 1 in 6 deaths were caused by pollution, and scientists state that pollution levels had surpassed the safe operating limits for our planet.

The UK public is concerned about the state of the UK’s waterways, and the media is increasingly reporting on chemical pollution across the UK. While much of the focus has been on sewage pollution it’s essential that the governement acts on the ever increasing cocktail of chemicals which our waterways are subjected to.

The letter sent last week includes 12 keys asks:

1.  Prioritise prevention and precaution
2.  Phase out the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products for all non-essential
   uses
3.  Protect UK citizens and the environment from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
4.  Phase out the use of PFAS and other very persistent chemicals
5.  Speed up regulation of harmful chemicals and avoid regrettable substitution by
   adopting a grouping approach
6.  Address the ‘cocktail effect’
7.  Maintain and expand on workers’ health and safety
8.  Ensure a clean circular economy with products that are safe by design
9. Develop an effective monitoring and alert system
10. Stop the continued accumulation of legacy chemicals in the environment
11. Remain aligned with the world-leading chemical regulation EU REACH
12. Ensure more transparency and use of all relevant science for assessing health risks

In addition to the Angling Trust, the letter was signed by a wide range of organisations including:

Surfers Against Sewage, Marine Conservation Society, Friends of the Earth, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, The Rivers Trus , Wildlife and Countryside Link, The RSPB and WildFish

You can read the full letter HERE

You can learn more about our Anglers Against Pollution Campaign HERE

You can support our work by Joining The Angling Trust HERE