Angling and the Rural Environment

Project Status: Completed
Type of Project: Research Project
Principal Investigator: Dr Liz Oughton, University of Newcastle (Email)
Website

Publications, Data and Other Outputs
Policy and Practice Note

 

Objectives

Nearly 4 million anglers contribute an estimated £6 billion to the UK economy every year. Such leisure activity will be increasingly important as the rural economy and its land uses move from being dominated by production (agriculture, forestry) to being dominated by consumption (leisure, tourism). But rivers are under further pressure from other human activities so their ability to sustain flora and fauna may be at risk.

This project analyses the complex natural and socioeconomic inter-linkages between river, fishing, biodiversity and institutions of governance and practice. Results will be used to inform policy on integrated development of the rural river environment. The research focuses on the Esk, Ure and Swale. These catchments show environmental degradation affecting aquatic biodiversity including fishes; include distinct types of angling; and demonstrate different social organisations of angling and access by different socioeconomic strata. The research is holistic, drawing researchers from natural and social scientific disciplines – ecological and earth sciences, anthropology, social economics and cultural geography – as well as stakeholders from government, NGOs, and the local community into a common dialogue. Each research theme involves natural and social scientists, and one work theme establishes, and researches, the processes of communication between researchers and between institutions.