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Farming Today: 13/01/22 - River pollution, shellfish bacteria and mussel farming

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13/01/22 - River pollution, shellfish bacteria and mussel farming

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 13/01/22 - River pollution, shellfish bacteria and mussel farming

MPs say England's rivers are "in a mess" - and farming is partly to blame.

Rivers in England are "in a mess" - so say MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee.

Rivers in England are in a mess - so say MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee. Their report into water quality in rivers is published today and doesn’t make cheerful reading particularly for water companies - which are blamed for 36% of pollution and farming which is the cause of 40% with intensive livestock and poultry farms causing particular issues. The Committee recommends that in places where a river is badly affected by pollution new poultry units shouldn’t be allowed.  

The future may be complicated for the UK’s shellfish producers - new research shows that rising temperatures are causing a growing diversity of bacteria in our seas. The study from the University of Exeter found bacteria that could kill shellfish, as has happened in France and Australia.

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