Wildfish tells government to use current law to bring in protections for England’s chalk streams

This week, WildFish has written to the Secretary of State to highlight the urgent, ongoing crisis facing England’s rare chalk streams. In the letter, CEO Nick Measham outlines the specific steps that the government must take to protect chalk streams for generations to come. 

WildFish urges the government to designate all chalk streams as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).

This designation would afford the 161 chalk streams in England protections from key threats, including water companies and businesses taking water. Over 85 per cent of the world’s chalk streams are found in England, and they are commonly regarded as ecologically important as coral reefs and rainforests.

Despite their rarity and ecological significance, chalk streams are facing multiple issues, including pollution, unbridled development, and over-abstraction. 

WildFish set out the five steps the Government should take:

1. Direct the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Natural England (NE) to designate all chalkstreams as SACs;[1]
2. Direct the Environment Agency (EA) to undertake a wholesale review of permits and licences with immediate steps taken to act to protect newly designated chalkstreams;
3. Require the EA and NE to change the way in which they assess the health of chalk streams by setting bespoke environmental targets in line with conservation objectives;
4. Change the way the EA measures and manages the capacity of chalkstreams and related aquifers to support abstractions;
5. Remove clauses relating to the disapplication of conservation law from Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Nick Measham, Chief Executive at WildFish, said: “Efforts to protect chalk streams will go nowhere unless they are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). By designating the chalk streams, the government will be taking a vital step in helping to protect England’s precious chalk streams from the worst polluters and abstractors”. 

Follow the link below to read the letter in full.