I Native fish threatened by anglers' fish imports. The majority of these are coarse anglers aiming to catch any freshwater fish species other than salmon and trout. This need to catch huge fish has led to a lucrative trade in imported fish, as our native carp, etc. are small in comparison to overseas species. The situation has escalated since 1993, when EU trade barriers came down and the trickle of imports became a flood.
Anglers often state that they are conservationists.
This is clearly contradicted by the majority of the evidence. The importation of fish for angling is one of the greatest threats to fish populations and rare species. The problem is with enforcing this legislation. All imported fish destined for release into open waters need consent from the Environment Agency. The main problem with fish imports is that it is all too easy for fish to be put in a lake without EA consent.