In response to the latest Environment Agency report revealing a 60 per cent year-on-year increase in serious water pollution incidents in 2024, omni-channel tackle and equipment retailer Angling Direct is renewing its call for urgent action to protect waterways and support the angling community’s efforts in monitoring and reporting pollution.
Anglers across the country are witnessing first-hand the damage being done to rivers they’ve cherished for generations. Through its retail network and digital platforms, Angling Direct has been a vocal advocate for water quality reform and continues to engage customers and stakeholders on the importance of environmental stewardship.
Angling Direct stands in full support of the Government’s tougher enforcement stance and welcome the decision to establish a new, single, powerful regulator to clean up the country’s rivers.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting the UK’s waterways, Angling Direct is proud to not only support and sponsor the Angling Trust’s Anglers Against Pollution campaign but also to provide essential equipment and logistical support to the rapidly expanding Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN).
Through this initiative, Angling Direct restocks supplies of water testing kits, free of charge, empowering anglers and communities to collect vital data using affordable and accessible kits, helping to identify pollution hotspots and hold polluters accountable. This grassroots-driven approach is essential in supplementing regulatory efforts and ensuring transparency.
The WQMN now boasts a network of 775 trained volunteers from more than 300 angling clubs, who together have submitted nearly 10,000 water samples across England and Wales. These results helped build the data required to produce the second annual Water Quality Monitoring Network Report.
Steve Crowe, CEO of Angling Direct said: “For anglers, the findings from the Environmental Agency’s latest report isn’t just about water quality, it’s about the future of our sport, our environment, and our communities. Anglers are often the first to spot signs of pollution, and their passion and vigilance are critical in the fight to protect our rivers.
“At Angling Direct, we’re proud to support them with tools, resources, and a platform to be heard. As a business deeply embedded in the angling community, we will continue to raise awareness, invest in citizen science programmes and support all efforts to restore and protect our rivers.”