FISH 133 Spring 2019

IFM News
News from the London and
South East Branch
The Branch has held three informative and
well-attended evening meetings at King’s College
this year and had an excellent visit to Billingsgate
Fish Market (starting at the crack of dawn!) led by
Robert Embery (Inspector) and Steve Colclough.
In February, Carolina Pinto (Ultimos Refugios Inst,
Brazil) described her pioneering partnership and
community-led work on the River Blackwater
evaluating the sustainable and cost-effective
effects of wood on habitats, flood risk and fish
and other biota. Maria also discussed how this
initiative led to the first Loddon Rivers Week in
2012 and an innovation award for the first river
restoration in Espirito Santo in Brazil.
Dominic Martyn (Environment Agency Catchment
Based Approach Support Group/Rivers Trusts)
presented an interactive discussion in March
on the 2019 Year of Green Action. He led
the audience through a snowballing story of
successful programmes working with communities
to build relationships, capacity, capability
and resilience through integrated catchment
delivery, reconnecting people with nature and
expanding successful approaches to natural flood
management.
Our April meeting focussed on reintroducing
beavers to England. Graham Scholey
(Conservation Technical Specialist, Environment
Agency) presented a critical review of the
benefits and potential conflicts associated
with reintroductions, including those relating to
wetland habitat creation and flood management
and to fish and fisheries. He outlined the role of
the Environment Agency and the current trials
and research in which it is involved, leading to
discussion of possible next steps and the future
status of beavers in England
Our next meeting is on October 3rd, the Annual
Sherry Evening, our prestigious annual social event
at King’s College. Further summer and autumn
events are being arranged, including a Thames
Foreshore Archaeology visit on 29th August,
Thames TideFest on 3-5th September and our
AGM on 5th December, so get in touch with our
Branch Secretary if you aren’t on our mailing list!!
News from the South West Branch
The Southwest branch held its AGM in Taunton
last month which was shortly followed by a
fascinating talk by Andy Don from the Environment
Agency on eel trapping and tracking in the Azores.
The event was really well attended with several
more events planned over the coming year,
(please see the branch page on the website for
more details).
The next event is Thursday 1st August when we
will be holding a screening of the Patagonia film
‘Artifishial’ – please see the website branch page
for more details.
News from the Southern Branch
A joint event with the Southwest branch is planned
for the summer, please see details on the branch
page of the website. The branch will also be
hosting the Annual Conference in 2020 and
preparations for this are well underway. If you
want to get involved in organising this or want to
help with the branch, then please get in touch with
Iain Turner.
Brian Knights
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