Holding the EA publicity to account...

[quicky]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... hoto_reply

Trying to get positivew comments re canoeing any time the EA mentions fishing from now on so please feel free to make a comment. The EA are there for all of us but they have a one user group agenda. Fishing only. We need to stop that mindset.

[quicky]

Environment Agency
Thanks for your feedback.
We passed on your comments to our recreation team so we could get some further information and clarity around this situation for you.

There are approximately 5000 kms of navigable inland waterways across the UK including rivers and canals. We are the navigation authority for 1000 km of river waterways including the non-tidal Thames, Great Ouse, Nene and the Medway. We would like to see more people from all backgrounds enjoying and appreciating the water environment close to them, but will achieve this primarily through our role as a navigation authority and our work on angling. In our role as the navigation authority we maintain and enhance waterways for the benefit of all users. However, for inland waters where we are not the navigation authority we consider that voluntary agreements are the best way to deliver the greatest benefits for all as it enables a proper balance between different water users and can spark regeneration of urban waterways and boost local economies.

Further information about canoeing on the rivers where we are the navigation authority, as well as some canoe trail guides, can be found on our website.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ho ... 32439.aspx

[Pete Montgomery]

See Rev Douglas Caffin's thesis about the rights of passage on inland waterways that dates back to the Magna Carter.
It clearly states that there are rights for paddlers that should be considered.

[quicky]

Maybe you'd like to help point that out to them Pete. The more people who start to the better...

[Adrian Cooper]

There are approximately 5000 kms of navigable inland waterways across the UK

Oh I think there's a lot more than that

spark regeneration of urban waterways and boost local economies.

Anyone for canoeing on 'urban waterways'?

[SandfordSailor]

. . . we consider that voluntary agreements are the best way to deliver the greatest benefits for all as it enables a proper balance between different water users

Are they serious! Do they really think VAAs, like the one on the Barle, give a proper balance!!!

Tossers.

[quicky]

That is the crazy thing, one part of the EA says vAA work and then they try to look into it themselves and prove to themselves that they don't but still keep on about them.

Thought this was interesting as the EA have been 'responsible for putting non native species in some rivers to the detriment of other aquatic life...

http://www.facebook.com/environmentagency

What will you find when out and about this Jubilee weekend? You can help identify and report invasive species (like this little 'Killer Shrimp') in your local area via this brilliant website: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/nonnat ... /index.cfm