DAA News

Biosecurity Grant

Dulverton Angling Association (DAA) are pleased to confirm that we have kindly been awarded a Biosecurity grant by The Angling Trust. This grant will enable DAA members of the Habitat Management Team to be trained to use spraying equipment, used to buy spraying equipment and the necessary safety apparel.

The purpose the training and equipment will enable the DAA Habitat Team to make effective use of their time to reduce and hopefully eradicate Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed from the fishing beats owned or controlled by DAA. 

This will help supplement the efforts of the Habitat Team and more specifically Patrick Del Fatti and Clive Garland who have already done a huge amount of work to pull 3,500 balsam plants last year from the Haddeo and Exe.

The DAA Habitat Team would also like to suggest that anglers fishing DAA take five to ten minutes out of their fishing time to pull and stack Himalayan Balsam to assist wider efforts to eradicate this invasive species.

Finally, DAA would like to specifically thank Angling Trust employees, Chloe Guy, Andrew Petch and Alex van Wienan, or their invaluable assistance, professionalism and guidance provided during the grant submission process, and also to any Angling Trust colleagues who as consultees reviewed and approved the application for the Biosecurity grant. 

Many thanks also to the Environment Agency for re-investing rod licence funds into angling organisations providing us  the means to tackle invasive species on our rivers.

 #Angling Trust

#Environment Agency

Winching Equipment Grant

Dulverton Angling Association (DAA) are pleased to confirm that we have been awarded a Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grant for the purchase of heavy duty winching equipment to assist with habitat improvement and bank maintenance activities. The grant also includes funding for shrubs to replace trees affected by ash dieback, the latter being purchased subject to approval from landowners to plant same.

DAA would like to specifically thank Ms Heather Harley and Ms Vickie Sellick for their invaluable assistance, professionalism and guidance provided during the grant submission process, and also to their Exmoor National Park colleagues, who as consultees, reviewed and approved the application for the FiPL grant. Thanks also to .Gov for enabling organisations such as DAA to make #FiPL submissions of this nature which will really benefit the organisation and its habitat improvement activities. 

Whilst a normal occurrence, recent years have seen increasing number of fallen trees in the river beats
managed by the DAA due, in significant part, to the effects of Ash Die Back disease. This situation is
anticipated to continue for at least the next decade, as affected trees slowly lose their fight against the
disease, die and then fall. Fallen trees in the Exmoor spate rivers regularly contribute to the formation of “Trash Dams” as smaller woody debris and rubbish are trapped, which can lead to undesirable flooding and risk of harm to recreational users of these rivers (including anglers). As advocated by the West Country Rivers Trust (WRT) the DAA’s habitat improvement work looks to manage the impact of Trash Dams by selectively clearing the main river channel where flooding is a concern, whilst retaining as much stable Large Woody Debris (LWD) in the river as possible. LWD is extremely valuable habitat for all aquatic life in the river, supporting increased bio diversity and valuable refuge for juvenile fish from predators.

The winching capability provided by this grant will increase the size of LWD and Trash Dams which can be managed by the DAA’s habitat work parties.