British rivers like the Wye and Severn, once teeming with otters, salmon and native plants, are barrelling towards ecological collapse – poisoned by the faeces of many of the 51 million chickens intensively farmed in their catchments.
But the government has been ignoring the issue – too scared to take on the livestock lobby amid a new wave of US-style mega poultry units churning out a constant tide of river-choking poo. We have a chance to force their hand.
A special water commission, set up after Labour took power, has issued a report showing that livestock farming – not sewage - is the leading cause of Britain’s water pollution. If thousands of us can pile in to show the public has noticed – and is demanding action against giant poultry farms – we could force them to respond.
Because it doesn’t have to be this way. There are concrete, researched policy options that could be used to stem the crisis and start to heal our rivers – like setting a legal ‘manure budget’ per river catchment and giving the Environment Agency the teeth and resources to rigorously enforce it.
We just need a wave of public pressure to make the government listen. Can you add your name?