Sewage on the riverbed blamed for 'anglers catching more tampons than fish' in Shrewsbury

The Shrewsbury Town Council report branded levels of raw sewage in the River Severn "embarrassing" and said the situation is so bad along one stretch of the river, the "demoralised" angling community has been forced to cancel a showpiece fishing festival.

Loud protests have been held over the “unacceptable” dumping of human excrement and sanitary waste in the River Severn in Shropshire and elsewhere in the country - a row which was sparked by ministers rejecting a House of Lords proposal to put legal duty on water firms to reduce untreated sewage discharges in October last year.

A Shrewsbury Town Council fisheries report said the Quarry area was "terrible".

Councillor Kevin Pardy asked at a council meeting: "Is it really that bad?"

Mike Cox, the council's outdoor recreation and asset manager, said "it's not what you can see, it's what you can't see" that is causing the problems for fish, meaning they can't spawn. He said sewage collects on the bed of the river.

He said: "It is affecting the quality of life under the water. Fish aren't spawning. There are all sorts of issues. I think it's going to be a long term thing to put right. It's all the way up and down the river. It's a national problem.

"Shropshire Council has a team looking at the situation and our fisheries team will keep posting results out to angling trusts."

The report said: "The fisheries manager can only put this (low fish stocks) down to high levels of sewerage continuously present in this location as it comes from the Coton Hill area and affects the entire length through to the English Bridge.

“Complaints to Severn Trent are not responded to in a manner that give a sense of hope in the future. Anyone associated with angling finds this demoralising when they cannot do anything about the impact and the damage this is doing.

“The popular three-day festival is not taking place this year due to the fishing being very poor over the past three years.

“The fisheries manager is embarrassed about our water when complaints come in that anglers are catching more sanitary products than fish."

In response, Severn Trent said it is only responsible for 22 per cent of the reasons for low quality water in the area.

A spokeswoman said: "Based on latest Environment Agency (EA) water quality measures, 78 per cent of reasons for the Quarry fishery area in Shrewsbury not achieving good ecological status are due to other sectors and categories, with 22 per cent within the control of Severn Trent.

"The EA measures show that the reasons for failure on the stretch of river are related to persistent toxic chemicals, which are not as a result of Severn Trent’s activities.

"The EA data also shows that two key parameters linked to thriving fisheries, dissolved oxygen and ammonia, are at better levels than those required to achieve the EA’s good river status.

“Severn Trent teams continue to actively engage with key people within the community, including relevant groups. A Severn Trent River Ranger is based in the town who, along with our operational teams, proactively monitor the network in the area and river health."