BBC documentary highlights pollution threat to our rivers
Don’t miss Paul Whitehouse two-part documentary ‘Our Troubled Rivers’ on BBC 2 and iPlayer
Comedian Paul Whitehouse, whose TV series ‘Mortimer and Whitehouse – Gone Fishing’ has enchanted anglers and non-anglers alike, finds there’s nothing to laugh about when he delves below the surface of our rivers.
In a no-holds-barred two-part documentary, Episode 1 of which was aired on BBC2 on Sunday, March 5 , Whitehouse says: “Years of pollution and neglect mean our waterways are in trouble. Whether it is the actions of industry, water companies, agriculture or us as citizens, our rivers are taking a battering”.
Describing Britain’s rivers as: “The closest thing to paradise we have”, Whitehouse looks at how raw sewage discharges by some water companies are pouring what he described as “liquid death” into rivers.
Episode 1 focused, amongst others, on Yorkshire’s River Wharf, the River Tame in Greater Manchester and Lake Windermere in the Lake District.
In the episode, Prof Jamie Woodward, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Manchester, told Whitehouse that a study he conducted on the River Tame had revealed the highest concentration of micro plastics he had seen anywhere in the world.
The programme also highlighted a speech given to the Labour Party Conference last year by Feargal Sharky, best known as lead vocalist of punk band The Undertones and now an environmental campaigner and keen fly fisherman. In the speech Sharky said: “As a direct result of the water industry’s profiteering there is not a single river in England that achieves good overall environmental health. Every single river is polluted and one of the largest sources of that pollution is the water industry.”
Episode 2 focuses on how nitrate and phosphate run off from agriculture and the rearing of chickens are affecting water quality in the River Wye, how pollution and water abstraction affects chalk streams in the south of England, how sewage outfalls are affecting the sea off Whitstable and, on a more positive note, how a £4.4 billion mega project to upgrade the sewerage system in London should help to improve water quality in the River Thames.
While the programme published responses from the water companies covered, Whitehouse seemed singularly unimpressed by the progress made so far to clean up Britain’s rivers, although he closed with a statement from the Government which said: “Our ambitious objective is to return at least three-quarters of our waters to be close to their natural state. We have new legal targets to drive down pollution, are requiring water companies to deliver their largest ever infrastructure programme to reduce sewage spills and our new initiatives will help farmers reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture. Protecting our precious water resources is key and we will continue to work with regulators to hold polluters to account”.
Similar articles

High Court ruling a ‘Landmark Victory’ for Fish Legal
Fish Legal and Pickering Fishery Association have won what they describe as a landmark judicial review in the High Court against the Government and the Environment Agency because of their defective river improvement plans.
Catching barbel on a flooded river
With the long, hot days of summer behind us, now come the colder months. This can prove very tough for barbel fishing, with low, clear, chilly conditions making bites very hard to come by. Never fear, though, because autumn also…
Autumn Fishing
Autumn is a glorious time to be by the water, offering a chance to catch that specimen fish and maybe even set a new PB. Autumn offers supreme all round fishing and is possibly the best season of all in…
Fishing using a sliding float
Welcome to our guide to fishing the slider. Our plan is to give a simple and easy to understand step by step explanation of this wonderfully rewarding way of fishing, and we hope that we can stimulate those of you…
How to Catch Your First Carp over 20lbs
Ready to step up to a large carp water? When you become more experienced – so do the bigger fish. Read on to demystify the overwhelming volume of information out there on location, carp tackle and carp tactics, in your…
Species spotlight – fishing for Rudd
I was a spotty faced teenager when I caught my first Rudd. I was fishing Napton Reservoir in Warwickshire hoping to catch tench when I struck into what I thought was the biggest roach I’d ever seen. And what a…Search by Region or County
Find new places to go fishing in your local area or county by choosing your destination below
Comments