"As for your comment about the river soon recovering It show just how thick you are. The river lost fish, chub up to 5 lbs,barbel in to double figures, roach up to 2 lb. The bulk of restocking will be with fish of year 1 & 2 class, that's fish of less than a pound. Or some old ropey largerfish stockthat been in the hatchery for donkeys years and past its sell by date with a life expectancy of 4-6 years max.
For the year 1-2 class to attain the weight of the stock lost, it will take a decade at least. That's a decade of lost amenity to fish for fish of the quality it had pre pollution to the local anglers who fished it. And that's soon isit The great Oracle one?
There none so blind as those who are to thick or woodyto workout theconsequences! "
Thank you for your kind words, Bob. Your popularity through your style of diplomacy just grows and grows.
Surprisingly, the Wandle (it was never a prime river by, say, Kennett standards or have you seen it?) could recover in 4-5 years, maybe not quite making up for all the fish that died, buy sufficient to provide a lot of local anglers with decent sport again. Or would you have waited this 18 months for court case before the ACA (or FL now) could even start negotiating/pursuing their case for restoration?
There are, after all, two cases. One is a fine, which goes straight to the Government and anglers do not see a penny of, that's the £125,000. Then the ACA have to start and that could have taken a further 18 months- 2 years to reach a settlement. So by your ham-fisted methods it might have been <u>3 years or more</u> before a start could be made on restoring the river.
Thank God you have nothing to do with the new AT/FL other than being a gobby member.
BTW, have you had anything to do with the Water Framework Directive, on any local consultatives? There's your chance to voice opinion!