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The Fight for Clean Water Starts with You
The Angling Trust Impact Report 2025 and the fight to save the UK’s waterways
As anglers, we spend hours on our favourite stretches of river, our lakes and our coastal marks. We are often the first to notice when something is wrong with our waterways and we witness first-hand the effects that pollution and poor management are having on the environment and the fish we care about. The Angling Trust’s Impact Report 2025 highlights just how vital anglers have become in protecting the waters we all depend on, and why that role has never been more important.
A clear picture of water quality in the UK
One of the key areas covered in the report is the work carried out by the Angling Trust’s Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN). This angler led initiative has grown rapidly, with more than 800 volunteers now monitoring water quality across over 80 catchments throughout the UK. In 2025, the network reached a major milestone, with more than 10,000 water samples collected.
The findings make for sobering reading. A significant number of rivers continue to fail basic water quality standards, with high levels of nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates linked to pollution from sewage and agricultural runoff. Hot, dry weather conditions during 2025 made these problems even worse across much of the UK, with nitrate and ammonia pollution reaching particularly concerning levels.
This data is being used to inform national media, regulators and government, helping to keep water pollution firmly in the spotlight and pushing for meaningful legislative change. The data collected by the WQMN is also now publicly available via the Angling Trust’s interactive online map, which can be filtered by river or site name to show how water quality is changing over time.
What is Angling Direct doing to help?
At Angling Direct, we are proud to play an active role in supporting this vital work. We sponsor the Water Quality Monitoring Network through the AD Community Fund and use our national logistics network to distribute all of the water quality testing kits used by the Angling Trust’s monitoring teams all over the UK.
These kits allow anglers to gather reliable, consistent data from their local waters. We provide new kits to every angling club taking part and resupply all existing kits currently in circulation.
Our very own ADTV-star Phil Spinks has been monitoring the water quality of the river Waveney. Since July 2025 he has been collecting data including water temperature, phosphate levels, and other key measurements which, combined with the rest of the networks data, help us to build a strong case for action to be taken to protect our rivers.
All of the data collected by the Water Quality Monitoring Network including Phil's is availavle to the public via the AT's interactive map.
Practical Support for the Water Quality Monitoring Network
Angling Direct has worked closely with the Angling Trust since the launch of the Water Quality Monitoring Network, to ensure monitoring volunteers have the equipment they need to take part.
Since April 2025, Angling Direct has supplied 42 brand-new water quality monitoring kits to angling clubs and volunteer groups. We have also completed 123 replenishment orders to keep existing kits in use during that time.
By managing the storage, packing and nationwide distribution of these kits, we help the volunteers to collect consistent, long-term data collection. This support plays an important role in allowing the Water Quality Monitoring Network to operate at scale and continue building the evidence needed to protect the UK’s waterways.
By managing the storage, packing and nationwide distribution of these kits, we help the volunteers to collect consistent, long-term data collection. This support plays an important role in allowing the Water Quality Monitoring Network to operate at scale and continue building the evidence needed to protect the UK’s waterways.
How You Can Get Involved
The Angling Trust encourages anglers to join the fight by signing their petition, calling for existing laws to be properly enforced and for our rivers, lakes and canals to get the protection they deserve. You can also show your support by wearing the Anglers Against Pollution official T-shirts, hoodies or Badges with 100% of profits going straight back into the campaign.
Joining the Angling Trust is another powerful way to help, as membership fees support their work and a growing membership gives them a stronger voice when pushing for change. Donations also make a real difference and the Angling Trust acceps these through their website. On the bank, small actions count too, such as recycling old line and spools in store using dedicated bins and following best practice to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Our waterways are a shared responsibility
The 2025 Impact Report shows that anglers are not just users of the environment, but its guardians. With strong evidence, community action and continued support, real progress is possible.
Protecting our rivers, lakes and seas has never been more important. By working together and getting involved, we can help ensure cleaner waters and better fishing for generations to come.
Sign the Angling Trust’s petition calling on existing laws to be enforced and for our water environment to receive the protection it deserves.
Wear the Anglers Against Pollution logo with pride by buying one of the official Badges. All profits from sales are used to support the Anglers Against Pollution campaign.
Join the Angling Trust. Membership fees are crucial in supporting their work and the more members they have, the louder their voice becomes when demanding change.
Donations help the Angling Trust to continue monitoring, campaigning and protecting the future of fish and fishing.