Fish Legal

{{use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} '''Fish Legal,''' based at Leominster, Herefordshire, is a not-for-profit organisation of dedicated lawyers who use the law on behalf of anglers to fight polluters and others who damage or threaten the water environment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alan |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/garden-village-could-put-kent-fishing-at-risk-260164/ |title=Heathland Garden Village at Lenham will 'put fishing at risk' on the Stour |publisher=Kent Online |date=6 January 2022 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref> It was founded in 1948 by Patrick Shumack, Esq. as the Anglers Cooperative Association (ACA), but changed its name in 1994 to Anglers Conservation Association.

==Current activities== Fish Legal fights cases on behalf of its members against perpetrators of the following: all types of water pollution, including sewage pollution (as in the case of Llyn Padarn involving pollution by Welsh Water),<ref name="pollution">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/23147/natural-resources-wales-admits-unlawful-investigation-into-llyn-padarn-pollution-by-welsh-water |title=Natural Resources Wales Admits Unlawful investigation into Llyn Padarn Pollution by Welsh Water |publisher=thefishsite.com |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref> [http://fishlegal.net/page.asp?section=1190&sectionTitle=Fish+Legal+Secures+%A336%2C000+for+Member+Club agricultural pollution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930041416/https://www.fishlegal.net/page.asp?section=1190&sectionTitle=Fish+Legal+Secures+%A336%2C000+for+Member+Club |date=30 September 2018 }} and [http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?itemid=936&itemTitle=River+Ellen+Anglers+Obtain+Compensation+for+Pollution&section=29&sectionTitle=News chemical pollution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927211254/http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?itemid=936&itemTitle=River%20Ellen%20Anglers%20Obtain%20Compensation%20for%20Pollution&section=29&sectionTitle=News |date=27 September 2016 }}, over-abstraction, poaching, unlawful navigation,<ref name="navigation">{{cite web|url=http://www.bcu.org.uk/news/fish-legal-angling-trust |title=News |publisher=bcu.org.uk |date=2014-10-18 }}</ref> barriers to fish, such as weirs and hydropower schemes designed with inappropriate concern of anglers or fish welfare as in the case referenced here, where Fish legal were acting on behalf of the Pride of Derby & Derbyshire Angling Association to preserve fishing rights of the local weir from impoundment by developers.<ref name="barriers">{{cite web|url=http://www.anglersmail.co.uk/blogs/angling-trust-blog-sat-historic-landmark-legal-victory/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141019062954/http://www.anglersmail.co.uk/blogs/angling-trust-blog-sat-historic-landmark-legal-victory/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 19, 2014 |title=Angling Trust - Historic landmark legal victory |publisher=Anglers Mail |date=2014-10-18 }}</ref>

Fish Legal has developed freedom of information law to allow its members and the wider public to find out what water companies in England and Wales are discharging into rivers and coastal waters. In ''[https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKUT/AAC/2015/52.html Fish Legal and Emily Shirley v Information Commissioner, United Utilities plc, Yorkshire Water Services Ltd, Southern Water Services Ltd and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [2015<nowiki>]</nowiki> UKUT 0052 9AAC0]'' the Upper Tribunal decided that water companies were public authorities for the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and, as such, should disclose environmental information that they hold on request. Questions in the case were referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in order to determine the correct implementation of the [http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?docid=145904&doclang=EN Environmental Information Directive]. The CJEU ruling (case C-279/12) stated that the water companies provide "public services relating to the environment" under the control of a public body and therefore should be treated as "public bodies" for the purposes of all the environmental information they hold. Their obligation to provide environmental information to the public is limited to information related to the public services which they provide in the environmental field.<ref>EUR-Lex, [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A62012CA0279&qid=1738906009319 Fish Legal, Emily Shirley v Information Commissioner, United Utilities Water plc, Yorkshire Water Services Ltd, Southern Water Services Ltd]: operative part of the judgment, delivered on 22 February 2014, accessed on 7 February 2025</ref> The Information Commissioner published [https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1623665/public-authorities-under-eir.pdf new guidance on the regulations] as a result of the case.

In 2015, Fish Legal joined with the Angling Trust and WWF UK in a judicial review of Defra and the Environment Agency for their lack of use of [https://www.wwf.org.uk/about_wwf/press_centre/?unewsid=7724 Water Protection Zones to protect fisheries from agricultural pollution].

In Scotland, Fish Legal has worked with Scottish charity the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT) to develop an ‘[http://www.sift-uk.org/media/file/Sift%20Aquaculture%20information%20pack_v04.pdf Aquaculture Toolkit]’ ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003073257/http://www.sift-uk.org/media/file/Sift%20Aquaculture%20information%20pack_v04.pdf |date=3 October 2018 }}) to help communities to better police salmon farms to make sure they do not cause damage to local wild salmon and sea trout populations.

==Formation of the Angling Trust== After two years of discussion in 2009, six angling organisations merged to create the Angling Trust. These were the Anglers Conservation Association (now Fish Legal),<ref name="fishlegal">{{cite web|url=http://www.fishlegal.net/ |title=Fish Legal |publisher=fishlegal.net |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref> Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust (FACT),<ref name="fact">{{cite web |url=http://www.factuk.co.uk/ |title=Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust (FACT) |publisher=factuk.co.uk |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=2009-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414094829/http://factuk.co.uk/ |archive-date=2011-04-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives (NAFAC),<ref name="ribble">{{cite web|url=https://www.ribblefisheriesca.co.uk/ |title=National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives (NAFAC) |publisher=ribble fisheries.ca.co.uk |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref> National Federation of Anglers (NFA),<ref name="NFA">{{cite web|url=https://cambridge-fpas.co.uk/about-us/ |title=National Federation of Anglers (NFA) |publisher=cambridge fpas |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref> National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA),<ref name="NFSA">{{cite web |url=http://www.nfsa.org.uk/ |title=National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA) |publisher=nfsa.org.uk |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=22 January 2009 |archive-date=18 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218104028/http://www.nfsa.org.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Specialist Anglers' Alliance (SAA).<ref name="SAA">{{cite web |url=http://www.saauk.org/ |title=Specialist Anglers' Alliance (SAA) |publisher=saauk.org |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=3 October 2013 |archive-date=15 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215224356/http://www.saauk.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Salmon & Trout Association (S&TA) pulled out of the merger consultations because they wished to keep their charitable status and charities are not allowed to merge under the Laws of England and Wales.<ref name="times">{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/any-dream-will-do-of-a-future-with-one-voice-rvcgn0wlwkh |title=Any dream will do of a future with one voice |publisher=the times.co.uk |date=2014-10-18 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|32em}}

==External links== *[http://www.fishlegal.net/ Fish Legal] *[https://anglingtrust.net/ Angling Trust] *[http://www.defra.gov.uk/ DEFRA] *[https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/will-new-watchdog-make-polluters-pay-for-ruining-rivers-28515021.html Belfast Telegraph newspaper, 18 July 2008, "Will new watchdog make polluters pay for ruining rivers?" ACA disappointed at low prosecution figures]

Category:1948 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Organizations established in 1948 Category:Recreational fishing in England Category:Clubs and societies in Herefordshire