The planned meeting for 28th March was cancelled due to the CV-19 restrictions

Hugh Bunker has sent through a briefing note from the Agency on thier activities during this last quarter, which is availble to download below.

We have also started to look at supporting the Fanland Pike Initative in addressing some of the long term issues impacting the Lincolshire Fens.

In these difficult times, I trust everyone can keep safe and well.

Latest update on the Nene from Viktor.

Quick update from myself on all things Nene Valley;

Resilient River Project:

• Nassington (Wellington Fishery run by PDAA) is still on hold due to weather obstructing access. The fencing contractors are currently not operating due to the situation so as soon as they are, coupled with the lack of rainfall and dropping river levels, this will get completed ASAP. It is likely the tree works will be put on hold until September to avoid bird nesting season. Tree planting to occur in November.
• Electric Cut, Peterborough is currently with Peterborough City Council to get permissions for the scheme and for drone monitoring which will look at the extent of re-sedimentation & vegetation in future years. Aiming for September/October on this one.
• Wellingborough Embankment floating islands had a bit of a setback with the identified additional funding from Wellingborough Council not being secured. They have been able to provide a small amount however but it still leaves a shortfall for the most basic design so Whitworths have been asked to top up the pot and I am awaiting a response.
• Lilford Backchannel permit has been submitted and I am now working on the landowner consent documents with the view that EA FCRM budget will be made available to deliver the project in the 20/21 financial year.

Wellingborough Waterside Group:

• Public consultation of the potential improvement works in and around Wellingborough Embankment was live in Jan & Feb, with 3 days of consultation in the Swansgate Centre, Wellingborough. We had a majority good feedback on this. I know WDNAC were concerned they had not been consulted before this went live, however I spoke to numerous members of the committee, including Howard, about why this was. In essence the group was only pulling in the right stakeholders at the right time and as fishing rights were not to be affected by any of the proposals WDNAC were not consulted with beforehand. This is because the improvements are only ideas and a version 2 design with public informed ideas will be produced as an outcome of the consultation. Then work will start to put the improvements in to action. I was also representing WDNAC and other fisheries here whilst on the group so they were not forgotten about, as is always the case normally! Rest assured I always have done and will continue to represent angling at all meetings or during consultations to the best I can.

Nene Valley Catchment Partnership:

• The NVCP will soon have a new storymap website going live which is accessible to all. It holds a huge amount of information and data which can be explored. Once live I will provide a link to everyone so they can have a look at it.
• Challenges and Choices consultation is open until 24^th April and the NVCP will be submitting a response to it. I would prompt anyone interested in submitting a response or sending us comments to be included in our response. https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/environment-and-business/challenges-and-choices/?dm_i=3O4M,12NEZ,D6EWF,3QDC6,1

Others:

• The EA have made ecological monitoring data publically available. You can access years of fish, invert, macrophyte & diatom data in spreadsheet format. It can be tricky to read however I suggest hiding irrelevant columns and putting filters on columns so you can flick through it much more easily. I am going to be looking at it and trying to run some data analysis on the relevant sites to the restoration works if data is available to see what has happened over the last few decades in terms of fish populations and species populations too. https://environment.data.gov.uk/ecology-fish/?utm_source=CaBA+and+Rivers+Trust+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=36d13b8b67-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_29_02_38_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5785643b8e-36d13b8b67-92775589&mc_cid=36d13b8b67&mc_eid=fdc0bfd494

I think that is all,

Take care everyone and hopefully we will be back out fishing soon!!

Cheers

Vik

Regards

Kelvin and David

Open letter to the Nene Welland and Witham consultative on grants to fisheries this spring.

We are writing to Angling Clubs and fisheries across the Environment Agency Lincs and Northants Area to offer the oppertunity to bid into a Rfieries Resilience Scheme.

This fund is designed for purchase of equipment to ensure that your club can be proactive in its management during times of environmental stress such as too much or too little rain. By having equipment directly at your disposal this will enable you to keep a close eye on the water quality, manage your fishery in a sustainable manner and respond promptly when required.

Further details about this scheme are:

The maximum bid available is £1000.  

• The monies must be spent on aeration equipment (pumps, aerators, dissolved oxygen meters)
• Any unspent monies must be returned to the Environment Agency
• The equipment’s sole use is to assist with the enhancement and resilience of your clubs’ fisheries.
• The scheme is only available for this year and bids need to be received by Monday 6^th May 2019.
• Receipts for the equipment purchased must be available for review by the Environment Agency up until two years after purchase.
• We reserve the right to visit your site to ensure that the equipment is being used as intended.

 If you are interested in bidding into this scheme, please send a completed application form to Liz Sroga, Environment Agency, Ceres House, Searby Road, Lincoln, LN2 4DW or Liz.sroga@environment-agency.gov.uk .  The form is available here.

Kind regards

Manfai Tang

Environment Manager

Lincs and Northamptonshire area