PACGB News Release
A public enquiry into a massive water transfer scheme, which the PAC fears could harm historically-important pike fisheries in the Fens, is “likely” to be ordered, it emerged last night (Monday 28th August).
That’s the response from the government’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to concernes the club has raised about the plan.
Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW) wants to increase the size of Abberton Reservoir, near Colchester, so safeguard water supplies to drought-hit Essex.
But it needs to increase abstraction from the Ely Ouse at Denver, Norfolk, to supply the water.
The PAC is calling for a public enquiry into the plan, because it fears reduced flows in the tidal Ouse could harm internationally-important nature reserves and increase the risk of saline incursion into the lower reaches of the Delph, Old Bedford River and Well Creek.
In its reply, DEFRA official Jennifer Orford says ESW has not yet applied for planning permission to enlarge Abberton.
She adds: “It is likely a public enquiry will be needed to consider the objections.”
The PAC wrote to Environment Minister David Miliband three weeks ago.
We cited preliminary environmental assessments, which showed that increased abstraction of water from the Ouse could reduce flows in the tidal river, increase salt encroachment and threaten both historic coarse fisheries and internationally-important bird reserves.
PAC secretary Mark Barrett wrote: “We fear this scheme could alter the entire ecology of parts of the Fens, heighten risks to endangered species and threaten populations of coarse fish and birds which are already at grave threat from climate change.
“Both fish and birds play a vital role in the tourism economy of the area. Along with the thousands of anglers who travel from all over the country to fish the Fens, tens of thousands of people visit the Ouse Washes and Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserves.”
The PAC fears the scheme could heighten threats to coarse fish populations and the biodiversity of the entire Great Ouse catchment, where fisheries scientists are already on record as saying changes in river management practices have led to whole year classes of fish being lost.
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What you can do:
Write to David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, urging him to call a public enquiry when ESW applies to increase its abstraction licence to enlarge Abberton.
Letters should be sent to:
The Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs
DEFRA
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
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Our letter to the Minister:
The Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs
DEFRA
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
August 13, 2006
Dear Secretary of State,
We are writing to urge you to order a full public enquiry into Essex and Suffolk Water’s proposals to enlargen Abberton Reservoir and the impacts such a scheme might have on the ecology of the Fens.
We enclose preliminary environmental assessments, which show that the increased abstraction of water from the River Ouse, which is part and parcel of the scheme, could reduce flows in the tidal river, increase salt encroachment and threaten both historic coarse fisheries and internationally-important bird reserves.
We fear this scheme could alter the entire ecology of parts of the Fens, heighten risks to endangered species and threaten populations of coarse fish and birds which are already at grave threat from climate change.
Both fish and birds play a vital role in the tourism economy of the area. Along with the thousands of anglers who travel from all over the country to fish the Fens, tens of thousands visit the Ouse Washes and Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserves.
The Abberton Expansion Scheme has potential to create controversy on both a national and international scale, since the Ouse Washes, which would be placed at increased risk of becoming saline, are a Ramsar site.
We would request you give this matter your urgent consideration and hope that you will action this enquiry as soon as the relevant applications to increase abstraction from the Ouse and extend Abberton Reservoir have been placed on file.
As the club which represents Britain’s pike anglers and campaigns for the preservation of their quarry, we would request you include us in the list of parties from whom evidence would be taken at the enquiry.
Yours Sincerely,
Mark Barrett, General Secretary,
The Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain
