Sewage spills threatening salmon survival, says MP

Sewage spills into a Hampshire river could threaten the future of Atlantic salmon, an MP has warned.

Danny Chambers, who represents Winchester, said sewage had been "pouring" into the River Itchen, potentially affecting the endangered fish currently laying eggs in the chalk stream.

In a letter to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, he warned of "ecological catastrophe" if such waterways were not protected.

The government said it had "taken action" to clean up rivers, lakes and seas. Southern Water has been approached for comment.

Lib Dem Chambers said sewage had been flowing into the river "for over 400 hours and counting" at one monitoring site near Headbourne Worthy.

He echoed conservationists' concerns that "a single major event could be catastrophic".

The MP also said there had been more than 500 confirmed sewage dumps in the River Meon this year.

"These habitats are exceptionally rare, rich in biodiversity, support unique flora and fauna, and are impossible to recreate or replace," he said.

He called for an "immediate package of support to clean up the sewage spills that have poured into Hampshire's rivers" over the winter.

It comes as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) urged people to keep out of the River Itchen to protect salmon eggs, which are buried in fragile gravel nests known as redds.

After often years at sea, adult Atlantic salmon swim thousands of miles to return to the chalk streams where they were born.

Shoals of juvenile salmon start their journey from the Itchen to the sea each spring.

The trust said just 133 adult salmon were recorded returning to spawn in 2022 - the lowest figure since monitoring began in 1990.

"Research has shown that chalk stream salmon are genetically unique and irreplaceable. They play a vital role in the ecosystem, supporting insects, birds, mammals, and other river life," the trust said.

"Numbers have plummeted due to a myriad of different factors including over-abstraction, habitat degradation, pollution, impacts on redds, in-stream barriers, climate change, and pressures associated within the marine environment."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "Our chalk streams are one of Britain's most nature rich habitats and are embedded in our plans to reform the water industry.

"We've banned unfair bonuses, secured record levels of investment and introduced landmark legislation to hold water companies to account – including jail time for water company executives who obstruct investigations."

A Southern Water spokesperson said: "Some areas of the Solent received 193% of its long-term average for rainfall in January. This has put significant pressure on our sewer network and has led to some storm overflow releases to protect properties from flooding.

"At the River Itchen we have more than £70m worth of improvements to improve water quality as part of a wider plan for the River Test and Itchen, we will be announcing these in more detail later this year."

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