Fishermen in North Yorkshire win landmark river legal case

Costa Beck once had a reputation as the best fly fishing spot in the county

Fisherman have won a landmark legal battle against the government and the Environment Agency for failing to protect and restore a river ecosystem.

Costa Beck, near Pickering in North Yorkshire, once had a reputation as the best fly fishing spot in the county.

However, its decline prompted local anglers to take legal action after years of campaigning.

In a statement, the government said it was carefully considering the outcome of the case.

The action was brought by Fish Legal and Pickering Fishery Association, who argued the government had failed in their mandatory legal duties, including protecting the Upper Costa Beck from discharges of sewerage.

The association's Martin Smith said: "For 20 years we have been fighting this, it should have been stopped, but the law hasn't been applied.

"The numbers of fish in here now are miniscule compared to what they were," he added.

He said the reason for population decline included a failure to properly manage the amount of silt in the water.

"It's not rocket science, it just needs effort" he added.

Numbers are miniscule compared to what they were, local anglers said

Mr Smith praised staff at the Environment Agency, and said "we hope to work with them to fix this".

"They are in this game because they care, but that doesn't mean the Environment Agency is doing a good job," he added.

Penny Gane, head of practice at Legal Fish, said the ruling had national implications.

"Only about 14% of rivers in England are currently in a good state, and if there is to be any chance of the government meeting its legally binding targets for water by 2027 what is needed now is meaningful action."

Local angler Mike Mycroft called for "all the bodies to get together to try and sort this problem out".

"If they don't it won't get better it will only get worse," he said.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said: "The government has an ambitious plan for water which is delivering more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement needed to clean up our waterways."