Fish Legal

Fish Legal based at Leominster, Herefordshire, is the legal arm of the Angling Trust formed in 2009 to fight legal cases for the benefit of anglers and for fish conservation, preservation of habitat and fish welfare. Originally founded in 1948, the organisation started as the (ACA) Anglers' Cooperative Association, but changed its name in 1994 to ACA (Anglers Conservation Association) before merging into the Angling Trust.

Current activities

Fish Legal is financed by and represents the Angling Trust in fighting legal cases against perpetrators of the following: *Pollution, as in the case involving Llyn Padarn pollution by Welsh Water, litter, over-abstraction, Commercial overfishing, Habitat degradation, Poaching , fish theft, Unlawful navigation, 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.

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, Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust (FACT), National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consultatives (NAFAC), National Federation of Anglers (NFA), National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA), and the Specialist Anglers' Alliance (SAA). The Salmon & Trout Association (S&TA) pulled out of the merger consultations due to wishing to keep their charitable status and Charities not being allowed to merge under the Laws of England and Wales.

See also

• List of waterway societies in the United Kingdom

External links

• Fish Legal
• Angling Trust
• DEFRA
• Belfast Telegraph newspaper, 18 July 2008, "Will new watchdog make polluters pay for ruining rivers?" ACA disappointed at low prosecution figures