According to Graham Mole, writing for the Telegraph, the fishermen say a report revealing the problem was seen by the agency two years ago but it has failed to act. Even now, they say, the agency is still not planning any action.
Ironically the report was the result of a five year study by another government agency, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) which was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), reports the Telegraph.
It concluded: "The research has indicated that the effluents from fish farms can have significant impacts on Atlantic salmon, particularly during sensitive life history stages such as reproduction and smoltification".
The Telegraph says that "Smoltification is the stage of the salmon's life when it first makes it way from freshwater to saltwater." The report revealed that many smolts affected by the effluence died when they reached the sea.
The Blind Eye of the Environmental Agency
EU - Anglers say that EU laws are being ignored by the Environmental Agency, claiming it has turned a blind eye to environmentally damaging fish farm practices.