Thousands of fish dead in River Trent cyanide contamination

News of a cyanide contamination in the the Trent between Stoke-on-Trent and Yoxall, in Staffordshire, has come as a massive blow to those anglers who have been enjoying the recent sport on the river similar to that of its 70s heyday. For at least a couple of years now, the angling press has been singing the praises of the river, and catches like Lee Swords' recent 50 plus barbel haul attest to the fact that it's bang on form. That catch was taken further north of where the spillage occurred but initial reports suggest that thousands of fish have already died as a result, which goes to show that prior to this, the river held a good head of fish up and down its length.

It's not just the fish stocks that will suffer as a result either; plant and bird life will also be affected as their natural habitat is changed out of all proportion. To treat the contaminated site, the Environment Agency has had to pump thousands of litres of hydrogen peroxide – a powerful chemical in its own right - into the water in an effort to re-oxygenate it. The whole affair is a mess and smacks of a company who were willing to cause this environmental havoc in order to save a few quid during these times of economic difficulty.

Wildlife wasn't the only victim however, as a Severn Trent water treatment plant at Strongford in Staffordshire was badly affected as a result of the cyanide, and couldn't avoid releasing some partially treated sewage into the river. Staff then had to work around the clock to get the plant back to good working order.

If one positive can come from this – and it's a long shot, I know – it's that anglers were amongst the first to notice the change in the river as fish were seen struggling for oxygen. Cyanide pollution is invisible in water so it was down to switched-on river users to spot what was happening and alert the authorities to it, thus firmly cementing angler's place as the eyes and ears of the countryside. It is also anglers who will most fervently press for action to be taken and prevent a repeat episode from happening long after it has slipped down the news agenda.

It will be interesting to see how the Angling Trust deals with this as it's the first major incident and serious test with which the organisation must deal. As the legal arm of the organisation, Fish Legal are reportedly pursuing a civil claim or at least the potential for one and I hope that they are able to do so and get a result for any clubs that have affected stretches on their books. This is almost more important than any criminal prosecution that the EA may be able to bring, which ultimately, would be a bonus and serve as a warning to any other company stupid enough to think about pulling a similar stunt in the future.

For any anglers still unsure about the Angling Trust and the merits of joining, it is surely incidents like this that should be the deciding factor. Whatever your views on the organisation, it is now the only choice and the one body who can fight this sort of thing from the angler's corner and as such, deserve the support of us all.