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Severn river trust

Terry Simner

Senior Member & Supporter
Hi All, I know the Severn River Trust was "....established to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of the rivers, streams, watercourses and water bodies in the Severn catchment, and to advance the education of the public in the management of water and the wider environment". (website blurb)
But, from looking at the work they plan to do and the work that they have done, they appear to be more 'Game' related rather than 'Coarse'. That is, they wish to improve Severn catchment watercourses, with an emphasis on attempting to improve the salmon and trout fishing.
Do you reckon that's fair comment??
 
Hi All, I know the Severn River Trust was "....established to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of the rivers, streams, watercourses and water bodies in the Severn catchment, and to advance the education of the public in the management of water and the wider environment". (website blurb)
But, from looking at the work they plan to do and the work that they have done, they appear to be more 'Game' related rather than 'Course'. That is, they wish to improve Severn catchment watercourses, with an emphasis on attempting to improve the salmon and trout fishing.
Do you reckon that's fair comment??

Of coarse, course coarse it is, no, Kudos in helping those 'orrible coarse type chaps with their common ways, those nice Game Chaps are far more deserving.
 
The Severn Rivers Trust also appear to support the introduction of Otters on the river Teme and the Severn basin, you only have to look at their on line stuff, I dont think they are the friends of barbel anglers they make out to be, oh yeah just one other thing, they plan to remove Powick weir, this will reduce the rivers depth by 1.5 mtrs (not my figures, theirs and the EA's).....so thats the end of the lovely River Teme, and you know why they want to remove the weir, so Shad can run up it......yeah right. If you dont believe me, then contact Tony Bostock I am sure he will concur with what I have said.
 
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They never learn do they, it's like groundhog day. There seems to be an endless stream of bright sparks who's main claim to fame is the ability to come up with ingenious ways to fix things that aren't broken. Unfortunately, it's the environment and the rest of us that have to suffer the often devastating and entirely predictable consequences.

Otters, shad, HS2, whatever...these guys pick a cause to champion and will go to any lengths to drive that pet project forward. They suffer from extreme tunnel vision, will accept no advice that doesn't forward their cause or conform to the blueprint that is seemingly engraved onto their brain. Worse, they are utterly impervious to the harm they do to others. Very sad.

Cheers, Dave.
 
Exactly Lawrence. Every branch of our world now has these people, every business, charity, you name it, all the way up to government....is now top heavy with excessive numbers of 'managers'. They mismanage everything in a desperate bid to, as you say, justify their existence.

For instance, we are told that the NHS is on it's knees, and it is....but that is down in no small part to the incredible number of managers at every level, in every department. These obscenely overpaid idiots run around like headless chickens, desperately searching for some scheme (usually hair brained) to prove that THEY are numero uno. The result is the chaos we now see.

Madness.

Cheers, Dave.
 
You notice, whenever we are asked to volunteer, give money, or give our time free of charge, its always by someone who is on a fat salary and a company car, dont get me wrong, I am a giver and if I believe in an organisation or its cause I am resolute in my support, but if I suspect someone is taking me for an idiot......then I think, you are either with me or agin me, if suspect the latter.....then its the end.
 
Firstly, in answer to the query raised by Terry, I can say with absolute conviction, that the view that the Severn Rivers Trust is only interested in game fishing is not fair at all.

I have known Tony Bostock for many years, and followed the progress of SRT, and he has been instrumental in developing an organisation which is recognised as a fantastic success story in the whole rivers trust movement. He deserves our support.

The SRT is sincere and serious, and very successful so far, in trying to improve the state of rivers in the catchment, and has committed significant funding to coarse fish-related projects, for example in installing roach spawning boards, and more recently in helping to fund the Teme Barbel Phd in partnership with the EA, The Barbel Society, and Bournemouth University.
Recent work involves scale analysis, research into barbel spawning areas, and barbel tagging which has already monitored barbel movements between Teme and Severn.
The SRT and BS have committed several thousand pounds between them to this work, which can only be of benefit to the barbel populations of the Teme and Severn.

Rivers Trust trustees are unpaid, but as they grow, the various Trusts are able to employ workers to undertake vital research and habitat work. As a trustee of a local rivers trust myself, I do know what is going on, and would urge those who read this to find out more about what their local trust is doing, especially as part of what current Catchment based approach partnerships are doing; many coarse angling clubs and their representatives are involved.

Removing man-made barriers to migration on our rivers is accepted as best practice in river restoration, for what should be obvious reasons. Anything which benefits shad, or salmon, for example, will also benefit eels, barbel and indeed all fish species, and the effect on river levels is likely to be very localised and short term.
Designated species such as shad or salmon will tick a box when it comes to attracting funding, but ALL species benefit in the end from a more natural river, functioning as it ought to without concrete structures to restrict migration in either direction.

So, being as polite as I can, and that is taking some doing when I see the ill-informed and negative and rather spiteful comments above, please take the time to find out some facts, approach the SRT, EA and other rivers trust in your area, and form an opinion based on the truth, which can get in the way of a good story, as they say.

I do not have a fat salary or a company car, but I have devoted a huge amount of time and effort into trying to educate and inform and encourage anglers to contribute to restoring and protecting our rivers, and Tony Bostock has done far, far more than me.

He deserves a medal, not ignorant abuse.

Pete
 
Firstly, in answer to the query raised by Terry, I can say with absolute conviction, that the view that the Severn Rivers Trust is only interested in game fishing is not fair at all.

I have known Tony Bostock for many years, and followed the progress of SRT, and he has been instrumental in developing an organisation which is recognised as a fantastic success story in the whole rivers trust movement. He deserves our support.

The SRT is sincere and serious, and very successful so far, in trying to improve the state of rivers in the catchment, and has committed significant funding to coarse fish-related projects, for example in installing roach spawning boards, and more recently in helping to fund the Teme Barbel Phd in partnership with the EA, The Barbel Society, and Bournemouth University.
Recent work involves scale analysis, research into barbel spawning areas, and barbel tagging which has already monitored barbel movements between Teme and Severn.
The SRT and BS have committed several thousand pounds between them to this work, which can only be of benefit to the barbel populations of the Teme and Severn.

Rivers Trust trustees are unpaid, but as they grow, the various Trusts are able to employ workers to undertake vital research and habitat work. As a trustee of a local rivers trust myself, I do know what is going on, and would urge those who read this to find out more about what their local trust is doing, especially as part of what current Catchment based approach partnerships are doing; many coarse angling clubs and their representatives are involved.

Removing man-made barriers to migration on our rivers is accepted as best practice in river restoration, for what should be obvious reasons. Anything which benefits shad, or salmon, for example, will also benefit eels, barbel and indeed all fish species, and the effect on river levels is likely to be very localised and short term.
Designated species such as shad or salmon will tick a box when it comes to attracting funding, but ALL species benefit in the end from a more natural river, functioning as it ought to without concrete structures to restrict migration in either direction.

So, being as polite as I can, and that is taking some doing when I see the ill-informed and negative and rather spiteful comments above, please take the time to find out some facts, approach the SRT, EA and other rivers trust in your area, and form an opinion based on the truth, which can get in the way of a good story, as they say.

I do not have a fat salary or a company car, but I have devoted a huge amount of time and effort into trying to educate and inform and encourage anglers to contribute to restoring and protecting our rivers, and Tony Bostock has done far, far more than me.

He deserves a medal, not ignorant abuse.

Pete



Does the SRT support the introduction of Otters into the river Teme and the Severn basin as has been posted previously on this thread ?
 
Typical Pete Reading..... no surprises though, I am perfectly within my rights to make an observation regarding the Severn Rivers trust, how can I as a barbel angler support an organisation that supports the introduction of Otters to the Severn basin and proclaims them on their web site as a welcome species, how can any Barbel angler support the removal of Powick Weir, that will reduce the level of the Teme by 1.5 meters (EA's figure not mine) every year the EA has to go well upstream on the Teme and rescue, Salmon and Trout Parr, due to low water conditions, so do you think Pete the removal of a weir is going help this, it will get rid of the water faster than ever, any fool knows this, the BS's own Bransford stretch will be destroyed, but if his stand point reflects the barbel society's view then we have a bigger problem, By the way Pete I have fished the Teme far longer than you, and to my recollection, barbel, Eels and Salmon have never had a problem of going up the Teme and by the way i have abused no one, just contributed to the chat, infact the first insult was issued by you, by calling those that disagree with you as ignorant, I have no problem with Tony Bostock as a person he is without doubt a good man, I have been an avid supporter of his, he will verify that, but now I must remove my support for him and his organisation, for reasons stated, so please Pete dont bother me with pompus arrogant lectures and put downs, they dont wash with me..
 
My point of the salary company car, was aimed at the current "model" adopted by so many so called public bodies or charities where certain employees of those organisations are very very well paid and do have company cars and spend a lot of their time in asking others to work for nothing, I know Pete Reading gives a lot of his time to certain causes with no charge, my comment wasnt meant against him, but Pete Reading, being Pete Reading and his pompous lectures etc, well Pete tell me the Severn Trust isnt for Otters being introduced to the Teme or anywhere else in the Severn basin and they will not support the removal of Powick weir and I will withdraw my remarks, I will apologize profusely and donate £250 to their cause, cant say fairer than that...
 
Does the SRT support the introduction of Otters into the river Teme and the Severn basin as has been posted previously on this thread ?

I had hoped to receive a reply to this from Mr Reading, perhaps I haven't given enough time for an answer to be given.

I have had a bit of a browse around the SRT web site, just one sentence that I came across was enough to put me off this group, the sentence was
The Severn Rivers Trust attended the Eisteddfod at Meifod with partners RSPB
 
in fairness Graham, the Severn Rivers Trust isnt an angling organisation, but they like the backing of anglers, and I reiterate I have no personal axed to grind, other than myself and the trust are now polarized because of their stand on Otters (they clearly support Otters being in the Teme) and the removal of Powick Weir, the Teme has been devastated as a barbel fishery and Otters have, the very least helped this situation to get worse, so as a barbel angler, how can I support them, its personal because of my beliefs and commitment to the barbel as a species and the barbels environment, Pete Reading's response is deplorable and highly personalized, and disrespectful to all concerned barbel anglers.
 
Typical Pete Reading.....what an ass, what fool, no surprises though, I am perfectly within my rights to make an observation regarding the Severn Rivers trust, how can I as a barbel angler support an organisation that supports the introduction of Otters to the Severn basin and proclaims them on their web site as a welcome species, how can any Barbel angler support the removal of Powick Weir, that will reduce the level of the Teme by 1.5 meteres and if his stand point reflects the barbel society's view then we have a bigger problem, By the way Pete I have fished the Teme far longer than you, and to my recollection, barbel and Salmon have never had a problem of going up the Teme i have abused no one, just contributed to the chat, infact the first insult was issued by you, by calling those that disagree as ignorant, I have no problem with Tony Bostock as a person, I have been an avid supporter of his, he will verify that, but now I must remove my support for him and his organisation, for reasons stated, so please Pete dont bother me with pompus arrogant lectures and put downs, they dont wash with me..

Typical Lawrence Breakspear if you ask me!
I get the impression in the short time that I have conversed with you, and only on the odd occasion, that if you do not hear what it is you want, 'woe betide them!' Either you are happy being this rather well thought of angler in the region where you fish, catching fish and telling all about them as you do, or, someone has a different opinion to you and you're off on one whereby you become like one of those Action Man dolls with the string coming out of its back - a lot coming out of his mouth, but not a lot of movement elsewhere!
 
One last point I wish to reiterate, this is not a personal attack on anyone, its a matter of principal for me, I dont expect Pete Reading to agree with me, and he would not expect me to agree with him, but I am sure I do on many things, but we famously dont get on, as for Tony Bostock, I have no problem with him and what he heads up is an admirable organisation and a force for good I am sure, but I disagree with him on two very important things, which are cast in stone as far as I am concerned, and those two subjects are documented here and other places, and I am not alone in those views, I will not let anyone turn this into a personality clash, its far more serious than that for me.
 
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