'Killer shrimp' threatens British angling
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Britain's three million anglers were warned yesterday that the future of their pastime is at risk – from a shrimp. The crustacean from Eastern Europe kills a range of native creatures, including the eggs and young of many fish. It can, say angling bodies, significantly damage ecosystems.
Anglers first found the shrimp, Dikerogammarus villosus, at Graham Water, Rutland, in September, but it has since spread to two sites in Wales, one at Port Talbot, the other in Cardiff Bay.
The Angling Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association said: "It has the capacity to devastate fish and invertebrates throughout the entire country's rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals if not vigorously contained and destroyed."
The trust and the association told their members to report any unusual looking shrimps to the Environment Agency and make sure they don't unwittingly transfer the shrimps from one fishery to another. Paul Knight, the head of the S&TA said: "The speed of spread is frightening, and we must do everything possible to contain it."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments