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Concerns escalate as councils restrict public fishing waters

Rob Hughes sheds light on the worrying number of councils looking to restrict angling on public waters...

by Freddie Sandford |

Updated on7th April 2026 at 1.13pm

A worrying trend is emerging as local councils and authorities move to ban angling. While some wildlife trusts have long shown a cautious, or even biased, approach to recreational fishing, seeing local authorities follow suit is disappointing. Angling is a healthy, outdoors activity that should be encouraged, not restricted.

There’s plenty of evidence that angling is a benefit to the community. Mental health, natural awareness and collective spirit are just a few of its perks. But many of our community waters are under threat, be that from a lack of funding, a lack of will or, more sinisterly, an agenda to push angling out.

We’ve already seen a number of battles, some won, some lost: Wingerworth Lido, Ellesmere Port Basin, Tomlins Pond in Surrey, to name a few. There will be more. Cheshire’s historic Shakerley Mere is currently under threat. We’ve seen councils claim anti-social behaviour, littering and damage to wildlife as reasons for closure, and these issues are often laid unfairly at the feet of angling.

Embracing the sport and providing a properly managed fishery is an asset to any recreation department, especially as it often brings a good helping of volunteers that will assist. Sadly, it’s frequently easier to look for a reason to stop fishing than to keep it going.

One of the key barriers to participation, especially with youth recruitment, is having somewhere to go. Park ponds and free venues have always been a bastion of young anglers, but restrictive practices by councils, and environmental ‘do-gooders’ are removing this option.

Maybe it’s time to put together a register of local authority-run venues and think about community asset funding to manage them on behalf of the locals so that angling can continue.

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