Natural England downgrades the River Wye to "unfavourable declining"
Natural England has downgraded the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) condition assessment for the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC) from ‘unfavourable recovering’ to "unfavourable declining." This is due to a fall in numbers of certain types of key wildlife including Atlantic salmon, macrophytes and native, white-clawed crayfish.
Intensive livestock farming, particularly of poultry, is a chief cause of pollution and run off, which has led to algal blooms and harm to habitats and wildlife.
Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey convened a roundtable with local MPs, representatives from Herefordshire Council, the Welsh Government, representatives of farming and environmental organisations, food producers, Natural England and the Environment Agency to discuss actions to improve the state of the river.
Coffey said restoring the Wye was a priority and called on the council to help facilitate local initiatives to reduce pollution.
Local activist group, Save The Wye Coalition, condemned the roundtable as a “disgrace”. It said on Twitter only two of the 19 invitees were environmental bodies and there was “NO cit sci who really know story. NO local people who care about river”.
Save The Wye wants a dedicated Wye fund for regenerative farming; a cross border taskforce with powers and resources; and an “immediate end to poor regulation and enforcement”. Others have called for an immediate policy moratorium on any new or extended intensive livestock production units in the Wye catchment.
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