Given the amount of help that TFC receives from the river officers and experts 'in the field' it is sad to read just how depleted and weak this regulatory body has become. Cut and paste the following URL published by Greenpeace (which of course has an interested position):
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Andrew. We - and many other wildlife, conservation and fishing groups - may now be the primary source of monitoring if the EA is weakened. The problem is that EA manpower and their ability to police UK environmental legislation is similarly weakened. This 'opportunity' will not be lost on farmers, contractors etc. For this reason, I would like us to increase our efforts in getting TFC members to become Riverfly monitors. I have now at home 3 spare sets of testing equipment. Members need to do a half day course and their sampling sites need to be registered with Devon Wildlife Trust. I am chasing our local Riverfly organisers but they too are under-resourced.
Rather concerning to read this. Does it mean more pressure on groups like TFC to act where the EA doesn't have resources?