Burgh Island was once more the iconic meeting place for a high-level summit focussing on “Clean Rivers – Clean Seas.”

Co-owners of Burgh Island, Giles Fuchs and Niki Fuchs, sponsored the Island Assembly on the March 13 which brought together leaders from across Devon to focus on the practical and immediate actions which could be taken to reduce pollution from all sources.

The Assembly called for urgent ‘bottom up’ action to clean up our rivers and for communities to make their own local plans to restore the health of our rivers by 2027.

Speaker after speaker reinforced serious concerns that successive governments had failed to make the protection of the environment and rivers a priority.

Kat Walter, solicitor for World Wildlife Fund, stated that the legally binding targets designed to protect our rivers and restore their health by 2027 would not be met.

She feared that the Government would simply ‘move the target date’ as it is woefully behind the curve.

Louise Wainwright, Chair of Avon River Champions and Bigbury Net Zero, was adamant that community groups would not move the goal posts and would continue to focus on immediate practical action to protect our local rivers by 2027.

Organised jointly by Avon River Champions and Bigbury Net Zero, the assembly brought together 56 leaders from all sectors – parish, district and Devon County councillors, Caroline Voaden MP, environmental organisations, scientists, community groups, businesses and farmers.

Invited delegates heard from inspirational and informed speakers who outlined the issues and proposed community-led solutions.

Broadcaster and adventurer, Monty Halls, was the keynote speaker who set the tone and pace of the assembly by proclaiming that “Change for good can happen when a small group of committed people decide to act”.

Guy Singh Watson, Founder of Riverford provided a sobering insight into the dire financial situations of many farmers -particularly in South Hams.

He said that this compromised their ability to invest in capital infrastructure needed to reduce river pollution.

The cash flow was simply not there.

Supermarkets, he said, were better placed, making billions profits, to make a greater contribution to the costs of environmentally sensitive farming.

Guy’s views were reinforced by local farmer and Deputy Chair of Devon NFU, Cathy Case, who was disillusioned about the support for UK farmers by successive governments.

The government had just closed applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme without consultation and without warning.

She said that farmers needed to be able to plan financially over the long term.

Harry Aubrey Fletcher, owner of Bantham Estate, reported back from the delegates on the Farmers’ ‘Table Summit’ that it should be a priority for local farmers to work with local volunteers and community organisations to install Nature-based Solutions to pollution.

Opportunities to join up habitats along river catchments would also be an important priority.

Cllr Dan Thomas (SHDC & DCC) championed the achievements of community groups, Yealm Estuary to Moor and Wild About The Erme River in local river restoration.

He recommended that river catchments consider following their example and set up River Water Quality Groups to work with their local river community groups.