Feargal Sharkey, the former Undertones singer turned environmental campaigner, has launched a scathing attack on the Environment Agency, accusing it of "systemic failure" in protecting England's rivers from sewage pollution. The outspoken activist claims the agency has "completely lost its way" and is failing to enforce environmental laws.
Legal Battle Brewing
Sharkey revealed he is working with legal experts to challenge the Environment Agency's approach to water quality regulation. "We're assembling a team of lawyers to hold them properly to account," he stated, suggesting potential judicial review proceedings could follow.
Decades of Decline
The musician-turned-campaigner painted a bleak picture of England's waterways, describing how salmon populations have plummeted from 70,000-80,000 annually in the 1980s to just 700 today in some rivers. He attributes this catastrophic decline to chronic underinvestment and poor regulation of water companies.
Call for Stronger Action
Sharkey demanded urgent reforms, including:
- Proper enforcement of existing environmental laws
- Increased funding for regulatory bodies
- Stronger penalties for polluting water companies
- Greater transparency in water quality reporting
The Environment Agency has faced mounting criticism in recent years as public anger grows over sewage discharges into rivers and coastal waters. Sharkey's intervention adds significant celebrity weight to the campaign for cleaner waterways.
