Letter: What's killing the River Severn?

Letter: Quite recently there have been reports of cormorants, goosanders, otters etc. depleting the fish stocks in the River Severn.

In my opinion this is utter nonsense: The river should be capable of supporting all wildlife.

I have fished and studied the river for almost 50 years and noticed changes 30-35 years ago. I used to take my children to Sydney Avenue in Shrewsbury and in minutes their buckets would be full of different types of small fish, crayfish and small fry.

At about the time they were getting rid of ditches and turning small fields into bigger ones, I noticed each time the river rose after rain great clumps of foam formed below the crest of the weir.

After that the small fry and delicate amphibians gradually started to disappear and the number of mayflies hatching fell fast.

About 10 years later we searched in vain at the shingle beach below the weir: No stone loach, crayfish etc.

The foam is still there though. When the authorities take samples and say the water is clean, do they check it when the water is crystal clear or when it's muddy and full of whatever may be contaminating it.

Where there is no intensive farming in third world countries the rivers seem to support man and all wildlife.

Brian Travis

Shrewsbury