Environmental activists are worried the River Wye ‘s health will not improve after the Welsh and UK Governments said it was giving £1 million towards tackling the river’s pollution levels.
Oliver Bullough, a campaigner and author who lives along the river, has said the money is a “fraction” of what’s needed.
“When I was a kid I used to swim in the river all the time. I would love my kids to see what I used to see when I was their age, but there’s a lot of damage that needs to be undone in order to get back to the start position”.
He told CJS News the money will not go far enough to invest in sewage systems and poultry farming, which both cause large amounts of pollution to leak into the river.
“The £1 million pounds is nothing when you look at what needs solving”, he said.
More than 2,000 locals have joined a class action lawsuit against those involved in large-scale poultry farming in the area where around 24 million chickens are farmed.
“The Welsh Government’s funding feels like advertising rather than a commitment to the environment, and they’re not going to get away with greenwashing this”, Oliver added.
It follows a decision by the UK Government to abandon a £35 million action plan for the river which was proposed by the Conservative Party before the election.
The Welsh Government said the money will fund research into nature recovery and sustainable farming to help restore its water quality.
The people of the Wye will not stop until there’s improvement, and that gives me hope.”
Deputy First Minister of Wales Huw Irranca-Davies described the investment as an “important step”.
“By bringing together expertise from both sides of the border, and working closely with local groups, we can better understand the challenges facing the river and find the solutions that will make a difference.”
The UK’s Water Minister, Emma Hardy, said: “For too long, the River Wye has suffered from extreme pollution, leading to devastating effects on wildlife and impacting all those who live along its banks.
“Vital research like this gets us one step closer to cleaning up rivers like the Wye for good.”