Commenting, Paul Knight, S&TA’s director, said: “This exciting news means that we are now the first angling lobbying organisation to enjoy charitable status – a hugely important milestone in our aim to place concerns about the health of our aquatic environment at the centre of all initiatives, governmental or otherwise, concerned with water management.”

He said the S&TA was established because of deep concern over the "abysmal" state of Britain’s salmon and trout rivers post-industrial revolution, since when it has always taken a leading role in lobbying and opinion-influencing on behalf of its angling members.

“The Charity Commissioners are satisfied that the work that we are involved with now has much wider implications which benefit the public as a whole,” he continued. “This includes the conservation, protection and sustainable exploitation of salmon, trout and other fish stocks of United Kingdom origin, and the conservation and improvement of the aquatic environment and ecosystems necessary for them to thrive, as well as other key initiatives such as education, training and research.”

“It is especially significant that the work that anglers have been doing in managing the aquatic environment for generations is now recognised as having an importance that goes far beyond pure sporting considerations. We will continue to operate as we have always done, but our brief now encompasses all fish and all aquatic environments.”

“Charitable status comes, of course, at a time when we are looking to unify with other organisations into one representative body for angling and fisheries. However, none of our work on charitable status will be lost, because a charitable arm of the unified body will be a vital part of its structure, and it is envisaged that the role of S&TA will slip seamlessly into this side of the new operation."

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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