Biosecurity & Environmental Policy
Protecting the water we all fish.
1. Why this matters
Invasive species and fish disease don't arrive by magic. They arrive on nets, mats, boots and in water moved between venues. One careless transfer can change a fishery for decades, and the club has 150 years invested in these waters.
2. Check, Clean, Dry
Before moving between waters: check kit for plant fragments, mud and creatures; clean everything that got wet, including nets, mats, slings and boots; dry it thoroughly, ideally for 48 hours, before it goes near another water. Use net dips where they're provided.
3. Fish movement and stocking
Moving fish between waters without consent is illegal, carries fines of up to £50,000, and is treated by the club as gross misconduct. All stocking of our waters is arranged by the club with the appropriate Environment Agency consents and health checks. If you're offered fish for a club water, the answer is no, and tell fisheries@fishinginpeterborough.co.uk.
4. Invasive species
Report sightings of invasive non-native species on our waters, signal crayfish, floating pennywort, Himalayan balsam and the like, to fisheries@fishinginpeterborough.co.uk with a photo and location. Don't move crayfish, dead or alive, it's an offence without a licence.
5. Bait, litter and the bank
- Take every scrap of litter home, yours and any you find. Discarded line kills wildlife: cut it into short lengths and bin it.
- Don't tip unused bait into the margins of stillwaters as you leave.
- Respect wildlife, nesting birds and bankside vegetation. Habitat work on our waters is organised through the fisheries team, not freelanced.
6. Pollution
If you see pollution or fish in distress, ring the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 immediately, note what you can safely (location, appearance, smell, photos), then report it to the club through the incident form.