Anglers may have been sat beside a radio this morning instead of by a river holding fishing rods as European Union fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki spoke on air about the controversial discards policy.

Ms Damanaki was upfront about her desire to change the policy – which sees fishermen throw away up to half of their catches dead to meet their quotas – when she appeared on the BBC Today programme.

"This is something we could afford when we had healthy stocks," Ms Damanaki said of the policy, adding that "nobody can justify" the level of discards today as fish stocks decline.

She will be putting her thoughts to delegates from EU member states in a meeting in Brussels today, and hopes to bring a ban into force when the Common Fisheries Policy is reformed in 2013.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's TV Fish Fight series focused on the abandoning of many caught fish and the waste of food resources, which he believes are upheld by the EU policy.

Anglers who use their fishing rods on the Warwickshire Avon have vented their frustration that a project has been allowed to proceed.

The Environment Agency recently approved a new hydropower plan that is likely to impact the flow of water at Pershore and affect fish habitats in the area, according to evidence.

Angling Trust technical director Alan Butterworth said that of the 70 schemes he has spoken about on behalf of his organisation, "this is one of the worst".

"There is a complete lack of analysis of the turbine's impact on the water environment by the developer and the Environment Agency's own internal fisheries experts have been ignored," he added, claiming the plans should not have been permitted.

The Angling Trust explained that they had not been notified about the decision to give the go-ahead to the project and feared for the river's chub and barbel population, which it thinks will be destroyed by the measure.

Earlier this month, the Angling Trust teamed up with the Angling Times for an awareness campaign seeking to address the threat posed to the industry by hydropower.

Anglers may soon be taking their fishing rods down to the River Nar in Norfolk, which is being regenerated.

The organisers of the project – Natural England, the Environment Agency (EA) and the Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board – are hoping that the changes will encourage aqua cultural life.

Natural England adviser for the River Nar Jen Small said the project would bring back pools and riffles to the valley, which would "improve the habitat for plants and animals living along the river, enhancing the wonderful natural setting for the Nar Valley Way and providing opportunities for good fishing".

Eels, sea trout and brown trout, as well as many species of wildlife, are expected to benefit from a scheme that will restore shallow gravel areas to the river channel and reed beds along its banks.

The EA recently announced that work was being carried out on the River Great Ouse to improve access for anglers and flood defences.

Poachers who use their fishing rods to illegally scoop fish from rivers and waters are being tackled.

The Environment Agency (EA) is increasing its evening patrol numbers after reports of poaching in Buckinghamshire and is urging the public to be vigilant against such activity.

EA fisheries enforcement officer Nicholas Robinson said that illegal fishing had a "serious impact" on the angling industry, which depends on a healthy population of species in its waters.

"Many people don't realise that taking fish from inland waters, including rivers, streams, lakes and canals is strictly controlled and may constitute an offence," he added.

The EA suspect poaching on Kingsey Lake and the surrounding waters of the Thames area.

Mr Robinson explained that anyone caught freshwater fishing without a valid licence can face a £2,500 fine and a ban from the sport.

Earlier in the month, the Angling Times threw its weight behind an awareness campaign to highlight the threats poachers posed to the industry. 

Users of fishing rods are being held responsible for the spread of a shrimp that has been feeding on fish and insects native to British waters.

Water company United Utilities, which is working with the Environment Agency on the matter, has banned the large inflatable tyres used as fishing platforms, which it believes has carried the species from the US.

The firm's water catchment operations manager Bryan Homan encouraged anglers to wash their fishing rods, lures and all gear "before and after use".

"Because of what they eat and the rate that they eat it, the shrimp can alter the food chain and our ecosystem, threatening native species," he added.

The shrimp, which can range in size from three to 30mm, originate from an area between the Black and Caspian seas and have extended their population across Western Europe in the past decade.

A ban on the same floating tubes has been imposed on waters in southern California due to a threat posed by quagga mussels, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.

Anglers on the Isle of Man are being asked to temporarily put down their fishing rods and offer their views on how new regulations might improve freshwater fishing.

The current rules, which have remained unchanged for three decades, are expected to be updated as part of a new consultation announced by the Department of Environment Food and Agriculture, IsleofMan.com reports

Fisheries Directorate member Juan Turner described the exercise as "an exceptional opportunity for all freshwater anglers".

"This is a unique chance for both angling clubs and individual anglers to have a say in the future of freshwater fishing in the Island," he said.

Anglers will be requested to give their opinions on new regulations regarding fish importation and how to best look after native fish populations.

The consultation document will also seek thoughts on all aspects of fishing in the area, including annual close seasons and daily bag limits.

Around 300 people are employed in fishing on the Isle of Man and the industry is valued at approximately £10 million.

The editor of a newspaper has called for other publications to back a campaign which is hoping to save fishing rods and the sport.

Jon Stokoe from the Whitby Gazette wants others to sign up to the Fight For Our Fleet scheme it has launched, with sister titles such as the Scarborough Evening News and the Bridlington Free Press among those to have already made the pledge.

Mr Stokoe's call was issued shortly after a similar call to help anglers with fishing rods was put out by the Hastings and St Leonards Observer.

He argued that fishing is the lifeblood of Whitby and those who continue to use fishing lures in a bid to catch a haul are struggling.

"We thought it only right to try to support them – whether we can make a difference who knows, but it is only right we try," Mr Stokoe told Hold the Front Page.

A Facebook page for the Fight For Our Fleet campaign already has more than 700 fans.

Anglers in north-east England are growing increasingly confident about the number of fish they will land from the region's rivers with their fishing rods over the next few months, it has been claimed.

The Newcastle Journal reports that stocks in local waterways appear to have risen in recent times, with some fishing enthusiasts reporting that they had landed small roach and dace from the River Tyne at Newburn, Tyne and Wear.

"Slowly but surely, coarse fishing in the region is beginning to improve," the news provider observed. "All fisheries have been yielding out-of-season carp to add to the more traditional silver fish sport."

Hexham's Wydon Water has been closed since its platforms were damaged by severe ice earlier in the winter, but Environment Agency officers recently visited the venue and are believed to be looking at ways in which the problem can be resolved.

Last week, professional fisherman Steve Ringer told the Angling Times he was backing a campaign to stop British Waterways removing carp from canals across the UK.

Energy firm United Utilities has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds in compensation after being found guilty of polluting the River Tame in Greater Manchester, disrupting the sport of fishing rod users.

The Environment Agency (EA) took action against the company after receiving reports in June 2009 that hundreds of dead fish had been spotted along the waterway near Mossley. United Utilities was this week fined £24,000 by Tameside magistrates.

After contacting United Utilities to discuss the matter, the EA visited the nearby Buckton Water Treatment Works and discovered that sodium hypochlorite bleach had overflowed from a container into the Tame.

"Incidents like this, which have a significant impact on the river, can and should be prevented," said EA officer David Orr. "United Utilities uses sodium hypochlorite on site as part of the treatment process and is fully aware of the risk of harm."

Earlier this month, two anglers caught by EA bailiffs without fishing rod licences were fined £550 and a further £127 in legal costs at Milton Keynes Magistrates Court. 

One of angling's leading figures has temporarily put down his fishing rod to support a campaign.

The Angling Times reports that commercial fisherman Steve Ringer has opposed the removal of many large carp from the country's canals by British Waterways (BW) and is the latest person to sign a petition to restore the species.

He responded to claims that carp were ruining the matchfishing of two angling clubs local to the Fazeley canal near Birmingham, which provoked the BW measure, by describing them as a "joke".

"I'm told that carp are never caught in matches on the stretch that was netted. An angler fishing any venue can get seen off by a big fish – that's just the way it is," he said.

The petition 'to stop the de stocking of Carp in UK canals' has acquired more than 650 signatures since it was posted online by Richard Griffiths, brand manager for Shimano UK, on January 31st.

Yesterday (February 14th), NarrowBoatWorld described British Waterways as being stuck in the middle over the dispute.