Angling Trust

The Angling Trust is supporting Canal & River Trust’s 2026 “Let’s Fish” programme through Environment Agency rod licence funding, helping thousands more people take their first steps into angling. The grant funding will help the Canal & River Trust deliver its 2026 Let’s Fish programme, which aims to engage 3,000 unique participants and introduce more people to the benefits of fishing.

The Angling Trust’s Water Quality Monitoring Network has become one of the most powerful citizens science initiatives in UK rivers, with more than 800 volunteers involved to date. Every individual or group’s story who participate in the WQMN is unique. This blog is the first of a series of WQMN Group of the Month, where we hear from those driving the WQMN forward, uncovering the truth beneath the surface of their local rivers.

The state of our rivers, lakes, and seas were higher up the political agenda than ever before in the 2024 general election. Keir Starmer’s Labour party promised clean water in their manifesto, with a focus on blocking water company bosses’ bonuses, and tackling the surge of sewage spills. Just over 2 years into this Government’s term, Andy Burnham has replaced Keir Starmer in Number 10.

Dr Matthew Witt, Associate Professor at the University of Exeter, said: “Coastal and open ocean sharks are among the most threatened groups of animals, yet they hold huge ecological, cultural and economic value. “This project brings together anglers, the fishing sector and research scientists from across England to co-create real insight into the lives of sharks.

The Angling Trust has published the first national report into the working lives of the UK’s charter boat skippers, revealing the challenges faced by a vital but often overlooked part of the maritime sector. Produced through the Angling Trust’s Charter Boat Officer programme and funded by The Seafarers’ Charity, Working Lives at Sea: Impact & Priorities Report 2025/26 presents an updated assessment of the UK charter boat sector.

A marine heatwave developing around parts of the UK could reach “extreme” levels this summer, with sea temperatures in some areas forecast to be several degrees above average. For sea anglers, unusual conditions like these can bring noticeable changes around our coastline. Fish and other marine life respond quickly to changes in temperature, affecting where species are found, what they feed on and how successful anglers are when targeting their favourite species.

The 2026 bluefin tuna catch-and-release season opens on Monday 13th July 2026 around the coast of England, marking the third year of this remarkable rod-and-line fishery for a species that, just over a decade ago, had all but disappeared from our waters.

The Angling Trust is proud to be a partner in an exciting new three-year research project that will improve our understanding of two of England’s most iconic and vulnerable marine species – the tope shark and undulate ray.

The latest scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) paints a mixed picture for UK fish stocks, with encouraging signs for some species but continued concern for others. For recreational anglers, it is another reminder that robust, science-led fisheries management is essential if we are to safeguard the fish stocks and coastal economies that depend upon them.

The Angling Trust has welcomed the UK Government’s ratification of the landmark UN High Seas Treaty, a significant step towards protecting the world’s oceans and the migratory fish species that recreational anglers value. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has signed the document required for the UK to officially ratify a landmark United Nations ocean protection treaty, the Government has announced.