The Environment Agency is celebrating a £10
million milestone for its Fisheries Improvement Programme
(FIP), marking a decade of community-led
conservation that has improved fisheries and supported
outdoor recreation across England.
Since 2015, the programme has delivered 1,585
projects, with £10 million of fishing licence
income matched by £15 million from partner organisations,
creating £25 million of combined investment in local
fisheries. In 2024/25 alone, FIP improved or protected 61
kilometres of rivers, enhanced 204 hectares
of stillwater fisheries, and
directly benefited 180,000 anglers.
The programme supports projects developed by angling clubs,
volunteer groups,
schools, charities and local organisations.
From stabilising eroding riverbanks and restoring overgrown ponds
to installing accessible fishing platforms and planting thousands
of trees, the work spans nature recovery,
social inclusion and community wellbeing.
In Cumbria, more than 5,300 trees were planted along the River
Derwent in 2025, with thousands of volunteer hours invested in
restoring spawning habitats and improving access for families and
anglers.
In Shrewsbury, FIP has helped make 2.5 kilometres of riverbank
safer and more accessible by replacing hazardous,
flood damaged platforms with new fishing pegs. The
improvements mean local anglers, including junior anglers, older
visitors and people with disabilities, can return to stretches of
the River Severn that had become difficult and unsafe to
reach.
And at the Wish Stream in Sandhurst, FIP funding supported
habitat improvements to 600 metres of river running through the
Royal Military Academy. Working with the Wild Trout Trust and
military volunteers, the project removed obstructions, tackled
invasive plants and restored natural flow. These
changes have helped support the stream's wild trout
population and the estate's wider wildlife.
Heidi Stone, Fisheries Partnerships Manager at the
Environment Agency, said:
For ten years, fishing licence income has helped
deliver thousands of improvements that make a real difference to
anglers and the communities around them.
This milestone is a testament to the volunteers, clubs and
partners who have matched our commitment with their own
time, expertise and energy.
Every fishing licence sold helps create lasting value
for local fisheries where the money available
allows local innovation
and improvements, increasing the fairness of
opportunity for everyone. We look forward to
continuing that work with the angling community for years to
come.
As families begin planning their spring and summer outdoor
activities, the Fisheries Improvement Programme continues to
support safer access, improved habitats and inclusive
opportunities for people to enjoy spending time by the
water.
Andy Petch, Fisheries Funding Manager at the Angling
Trust, said:
The Fisheries Improvement Programme is a fantastic opportunity
for clubs and organisations to gain grant funding to improve
their fisheries for the benefit of anglers, and a great way for
people to see how their rod licence money is reinvested into the
sport.
Over the past ten years more than £10 million has
been awarded to clubs and fisheries across the country,
from Alnwick in the North East to the tip of
Cornwall.
It's not all about licence checks on the bank – improving
accessibility and safety through reinvested funds will help shape
the future of our sport for years to come.
Full details of how rod licence income is reinvested to protect
and improve England's fisheries can be found in the Environment Agency's
annual fisheries report.
Information about future rounds of the Fisheries Improvement
Programme will be available later this year on
the Angling
Trust's website.
