Angling Direct Joins the Angling Trust Water Quality Monitoring Network in the Fight Against River Pollution

This entry was posted on 20th February, 2025 by Guest Writer

We’re proud to announce that Angling Direct will be providing comprehensive support and sponsorship of the Angling Trust’s “Anglers Against Pollution” campaign. This partnership reflects Angling Direct’s commitment to protecting the UK’s rivers and waterways for the future of angling and the benefit of the wider community.

From 2025, Angling Direct will be taking on the responsibility of delivering all new water quality test kits, ensuring that more clubs and more anglers have the right equipment to monitor pollution levels. By helping with distribution, we’re making it easier than ever for volunteers to access equipment and expand the reach of the WQMN. The more tests we complete the better we can understand what is going on in our waterways.

Angling Direct will provide essential contributions and logistical support to the Angling Trust’s rapidly expanding Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN). This innovative citizen science program empowers anglers to monitor and report on water quality across England and Wales, gathering critical data to address the growing crisis of river pollution. Since its launch in May 2022, the WQMN has enrolled anglers from 280 angling clubs who have conducted over 8,500 water quality tests on over 220 rivers across England and Wales, revealing the impact of pollution on freshwater ecosystems.

The importance of this initiative cannot be overstated. With only 14% of UK water bodies in good ecological condition, river pollution is at a crisis point. In 2023 alone, there were over half a million recorded sewage spills, and raw sewage has been continuously discharged into rivers for over 7 million hours since 2020. Extremely high levels of phosphates and nitrates from sewage are fuelling algal blooms which cause oxygen levels to drop, damaging fish stocks and aquatic life. These conditions also allow for various e-coli strains to thrive, posing a health risk to all waterway users including anglers.

Building a Legacy of Environmental Responsibility

We believe angling and clean water go hand in hand, so in addition to supporting the Anglers Against Pollution campaign , we’re going to continue our commitment to other vital environmental and community programs. This includes ongoing support for the Angling Trust's Get Fishing campaign, which introduces newcomers to angling, and we have expanded our partnership with Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme.

Join the Movement

Angling Direct invites anglers, clubs, and the wider community to get involved in the fight against pollution. By joining the Water Quality Monitoring Network or supporting the Anglers Against Pollution campaign, everyone can play a part in safeguarding the future of the UK’s waterways.

For more information on how to get involved, visit Angling Direct’s website or the Angling Trust’s Anglers Against Pollution page.