The Early Years

Throughout the world, conservation of the environment has become a major issue. The planet we once took for granted has proved to be a complex, delicate place, and no matter where we look, we find signs of environmental degradation but as concerned individuals, most of us feel helpless to do anything about it.

Anglers, you would think, at least have the perfect escape, go fishing! But no, when we get to the river, we find even more environmental degradation. Polluted water, over-abstracted flows, dredged banks and canalized channels, riparian trees ripped out and lack of habitat, etc., all leading to diminishing fish stocks. Prior to the 1960's Norfolk was home to some of Britain's finest fishing. The Broads were Mecca to anglers throughout the country, and the upper rivers such as the Wensum, Waveney and the Bure were famous for catches of specimen roach but all that was to change.

Throughout the 1970's and 80's an appalling decline took place on these waters. Phosphates from sewage collected in the Broads over-enriching the water and causing algae to proliferate. This limited the food chain and in turn inhibited fish growth. On the Thurne Broads a gradual salination of the water caused by deep drainage of the coastal marshes provided the perfect environment for the toxic algae Prymnesium to bloom, which resulted in numerous massive fish kills. And with the same drainage systems lowering water levels throughout the broads, and sea levels rising, saltwater tides were increasingly able to push ever further into the broads with fatal consequences for any freshwater fish trapped in its path.

The Fenland Drains also started to decline as fisheries, affected by water quality, drainage management and the introduction of an alien species, the zander. The Waveney was soon added to this list being contaminated by a continuous seepage of pig slurry that gradually destroyed its fish stocks.

As if this lot wasn't enough, the degradation of Norfolk's rivers continued as water authority engineers systematically dredged the life out of the upper rivers in order to improve land drainage, thereby destroying important fish habitats and spawning sites. Within 20 years Norfolk's fishing had declined into a shadow of itself and as all the time new threats were being set against it, eventually, the county's anglers were forced to fight back.

Fighting Back

The catalyst came in 1985. The future of Norfolk's River Wensum between Taverham and Norwich was put at risk. At that time all of Norwich city's potable water supply came from abstracting the Wensum on the outskirts of the city. In response to Government directives to find an alternative standby source of water, Anglian Water Authority (AWA) sunk new boreholes in the waterworks area to tap into the groundwater. Soon this supply was finding its way into our homes, but instead of the clean drinking water its customer’s pay for, they were treated to a disgusting supply of chemical cocktail.

AWA of course were quick to their defences, blaming the problem on rotting leaves. The truth it seemed was far more unsavoury. Only a stone's throw away from the waterworks a large chemical manufacturing company had for many years been sending all manner of noxious substances down the drains to the AWA sewage treatment works. The corrosive effect of this effluent on these drains must have been substantial as it was only a matter of time before it found it's way into the groundwater, and subsequently into the public water supply.

The ensuing scandal became publicized in the national media and AWA responded by proposing to construct a new abstraction plant on the Wensum at Costessey, several miles upstream of the contaminated area. From here they would pipe the water to Norwich, thus threatening Norfolk's finest river fishery with greatly diminished flows and siltation of the riverbed. This fishery was nationally renowned for its specimen chub and barbel, the later of which were in fact, the only barbel stocks in the whole of Norfolk and Suffolk at that time.

In response, perhaps for the first time ever, conservationists and anglers joined forces and the Save The Wensum Action Group was formed to oppose the pipeline and demand that the polluter should pay to clean up the contaminated area and it's groundwater. For several months a vigorous battle ensued which elevated anglers in Norfolk into a strong campaigning force for conservation. Nevertheless, in the end SWAG failed to achieve it's objectives. The pipeline was eventually constructed and, as predicted, the river suffered the consequences of such massive abstraction. No one should underestimate how hard the anglers fought in that campaign, and although ultimately the battle was lost, they achieved a unity of purpose rarely found in angling.

At that time, David Batten and Chris Turnbull were regional organizers of the Pike Anglers Club in Norwich, which had been a major force in SWAG. As SWAG slowly waned, they agreed that the spirit kindled within the organization should not be lost to the county. A meeting was called and they sent invitations to several influential local anglers. That night, over several pints in "The Bridge" public house on the banks of the Wensum, the Norfolk Anglers Conservation Association (NACA) was born.

Soon after, its objectives were set out in its constitution.

To campaign for and promote a clean and healthy aquatic environment in which all forms of wildlife can thrive and prosper.

To unite the various branches of angling and present to the public the true image of anglers as caring conservationists.

To take whatever action is necessary to safeguard and promote angling in Norfolk.

In its formative years the NACA committee consisted of so many well known anglers that it was like a "Who's Who" of angling, which undoubtedly helped get things moving by promoting the association's image and attracting media attention. Time was spent in meetings with other organizations such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Earth, English Nature, the AWA and the Broads Authority getting to know their officers, identify common ground, confronting issues and where necessary putting on pressure.

As a media based pressure group, the association was getting a lot of coverage and airing its concerns in the newspapers, on radio and TV. On a practical level, however, other than organizing a few litter clearing operations, it was a year or two before it was able to make any real progress in undertaking any serious conservation projects.

Rebuilding the River Wensum

The association's first step into practical conservation started when it took on 1.5 miles of the upper Wensum, in order to undertake a major fishery habitat restoration program as an attempt to begin reversing the fortunes of the river. This fishery was ideal for restoration. Despite being damaged by dredging in the 50s, it had a fairly good flow that could be manipulated in various ways and by undertaking this work, two objectives could be fulfilled. Firstly it could prove the viability of restoring a river damaged by dredging, and thus provide a blueprint for others to follow and secondly, by creating a suitable habitat and stocking it with barbel, a future for the species would be assured in the Wensum upstream of the abstraction threatened stocks at Costessey.

This work has been ongoing ever since and has included the construction of two large shallow gravel riffles to facilitate improved spawning and increase the elevation of the flow. Several areas of the river have also been narrowed and dug into deeper pools and hundreds of riverside willows and alders have been planted. An off-river backwater has also been created to provide a fry-refuge for over-wintering fry. The combination of these efforts has improved the fishery beyond measure. 1,600 4 to 8-inch barbel were stocked into the fishery over a period of five years. These have been growing at the rate of up to around 1.5lb per year, the biggest of which now run far into double figures. Also they are successfully breeding.

The success of this project has led to the association more recently taking on the old Costessey point Fishery (formally known as Ketteringham’s) and undertaking a second river habitat restoration project designed to help mitigate against the problems caused by over-abstraction. Having secured and spent £3000 grant funding this hugely ambitious project has recently been completed including the installation of three riffles and two large fry-refuges. The stretch has also been seeded with 1000 immature barbel.

Campaigns

Over the years NACA has emerged as an influential force within Norfolk's conservation community. Besides its practical conservation work and its ongoing campaigning as a pressure group, NACA has taken a place on the consultative councils of various influential groups and authorities. These include the Broads Authority Forum, the Broads Angling Strategy Group, the Environment Agencies Wensum Fishery Action Plan, the Upper Thurne Working Group, etc. We have also taken up the role of being angling consultants for both Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Councils at various times. By 1999 membership of the association stood at around 900 individuals and 22 affiliated angling clubs and societies. In turn the association is affiliated to Specialist Anglers Alliance, National Federation of Anglers, the National Association of Fisheries and Anglers Consultatives, the Salmon & Trout Association, the Wild Trout Trust and Anglers Conservation Association.

Other than campaigning over local issues as they arise, such as pollution incidents or applications for licenses to discharge effluents or abstract water, NACA have also undertaken numerous campaigns to support the conservation of Norfolk's waters. We have succeeded in getting Anglian Water to install phosphate strippers at it Sewage Treatment Works along the upper Wensum and have also succeeded in moving the authorities to take more positive action to protect the Upper Thurne Broads from environmental decline. This included getting the EA to install and operate salt food barriers at the Potter Heigham boat yards on the River Thurne. Over the years these have saved the lives of many thousands of roach over-wintering in the boatyards.

Angling, Conservation and Education.

Conservation campaigning isn't always about direct action or lobbying. Education is also of major importance, because if the issues that concern anglers are to be properly aired, and if our campaigns are to get the support they need, then it is crucial that other conservation bodies, politicians and the general public are also made aware of the problems that exist. We were perhaps, the first organization to link angling and conservation in an education initiative when in 1986 we produced a poster that were eventually displayed in schools throughout the UK. As part of this education initiative, NACA also created a large display stand, professionally laid out with text and photographs. This stand is regularly displayed in schools, colleges, libraries, council offices and fishing tackle shops throughout Norfolk. Another education initiative used by the association is a slide show presentation dealing with Norfolk's rivers and their restoration. Over the years, this has been regularly shown to angling clubs or wildlife and conservation groups.

In 2003 we produced a second poster to go into schools, library’s and tourist centres throughout the Norfolk Broads. This was designed to support the Broads Angling Code that was produced by the Broads Angling Strategy Group and partnership sponsored by the Environment Agency, the Broads Authority and NACA.

Communicating with the association's membership is also of huge importance, so a twice-yearly glossy journal has been produced for many years to keep members in touch with the associations activities and spotlight relevant local issues. This journal has also featured useful fishery advice, fishing stories, and interviews with prominent local anglers, along with articles submitted by members and friends of the association. In 2005 we took the journal one step further by turning it into an annual A4 full colour magazine that is free to NACA members and is also on sale throughout Norfolk.

NACA Fisheries

In order to gain greater influence in protecting fisheries throughout the county, the association has also taken on the fishing rights of various waters, including a third stretch of the Wensum that is earmarked as the site for our next habitat restoration project and also a 1.5 mile stretch of the upper Yare. We have also taken on the management of various still-water fisheries, including the nationally famous Bawburgh Lakes complex. Membership to all these fisheries is available exclusively to NACA members, but is separate from the association membership fee. Very importantly however, fisheries are run primarily as conservation projects or to preserve them for angling and not mearly to provide fishing for our members.

Talks and Presentations

On the social side of things, in order to keep involved with its membership, the association also organizes regular social events such as junior angler fish-ins, talks and slide shows and project site open-days. Social meetings vary in content. Some are straightforward angling talks given by nationally or locally renowned anglers, while others deal specifically with environmental issues affecting Norfolk's fisheries.

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