Burgh Island Hotel owners Giles Fuchs and Niki Fuchs are once again sponsoring the Island Assembly on Thursday, March 13. The topic is ‘Clean Rivers, Clean Seas’.

The event has been organised by Avon River Champions in collaboration with Friends of Kingsbridge Salcombe Estuary, Sustainable Blackawton, and Bigbury Net Zero. Delegates include leaders of environmental organisations, local government, businesses, farmers, community groups, and scientists.

Louise Wainwright (Avon River Champions and Bigbury Net Zero) said: “Most people are angry about the dire state of our rivers and the pollution entering our estuaries and into Bigbury Bay and Start Bay.

“The seeming disregard of South West Water for the aquatic wildlife struggling to survive, and for the health of people who swim in our waterways is unbelievable. How has the culture of ‘Business first, Environment last’ in England been allowed to develop?”

“For water companies, this is because they are a poorly regulated monopoly business that sells an essential product (water supply) and service (sewage and drainage) to a captive customer base.

“But are they the only culprit? Customers and voters have never been more informed about how water quality is regulated. The performance of Ofwat and the Environment Agency is now also under public scrutiny.

“This is a political issue. Fish have no vote and no voice, and they have been suffering in silence for years. People have a voice and a vote and they don’t suffer in silence.”

The keynote speaker, broadcaster Monty Halls, will set the tone of the event: INSPIRE | INFORM | CONNECT | ACT.

Delegates will hear about the issues affecting our rivers and explore solutions from influential speakers, including:

The Island Assembly aims to promote the benefits of the proposed River Water Quality Groups, which create a local collaborative river restoration initiative—the BluePrint Project (www.avon-river-champions.org). The BluePrint Project links all neighbouring parish and town councils with their local river community groups and farmers. Together with volunteer teams from Force4Nature and Woodland Trust, they will identify, fund, and install nature-based solutions to pollution from agriculture and sewage works.

These include:

Avon River Champions have already begun consultations with local parish councils in the Avon, Gara, and Kingsbridge Salcombe Estuary as well as publishing the Devon Rivers Manifesto to bring local issues to the attention of MPs in Devon.

Louise added: “We all have a legal obligation (Water Framework Directive) to ensure our rivers are restored to Good Ecological Status by 2027.

“The Government will miss this target by miles because it has not invested enough to comply with the legislation it enacted.

“We are not going to wait for the Government to move the goalposts at the end of 2027. The health of our rivers means more to us, and we will prove that the 2027 target can be met.

We will restore our waters by 2027 through the collaborative BluePrint Project.”

If you want to know more, sign up for the Avon River Voices e-Newsletter: [email protected]