Agriculture Pesticides and Pharmaceuticals Chemicals are increasingly polluting England's riversand killingwildlife. We're wiping outan expert report reveals.
Conservationists say rivers are showing more signs of 'chemical stress' than ever before, resulting in declining populations of river flies, a key sign of a healthy ecosystem. says there is.
They believe that this summer's drought has lowered water levels, making the chemicals more concentrated and exacerbating the damage they cause.
Based on a study of 12 rivers in the UK Chemical Pollution: The Silent Killers of UK RiversThe report suggests that the diversity of river fly species such as kingfishers, stoneflies and stoneflies will decrease. clarifying. It indicates the condition of the waterway.
The survey found that the aggregate number of sites rated “bad” or “bad” was more than double the previous year and was “significantly” higher than in 2015, 2016 and 2017. rice field.
The report said it is important to stop pollution at the source and that the government's future chemicals strategy is an opportunity to reduce its dependence on chemicals and ensure enforcement of regulations. I'm here.
That strategy, first promised in his 25-year environmental plan in 2018, has since been repeatedly postponed.
The organizations behind the new study, WildFish, RSPB, Buglife, and the Pesticide Collaboration, are calling on governments to:
Sarah Haynes of Pesticide Collaboration said: ``It often takes decades to understand the true harm of pesticides and other chemicals to our environment. When pesticides are banned, new chemicals enter the market…and so on. , we need a plan in place to restore the river.”
Janina Gray, deputy chief executive officer of the charity WildFish, said: "The results of the Chemistry Report show that invertebrate communities are more stressed than previous studies, suggesting that the problem is exacerbated.
“Chemical strategy is an opportunity to reverse trends, but only if governments meet their goals and act now.”
The Independent We have reached out to the Ministry of Food and Rural Affairs for comment.
