I hear your song sweetness

“In the corner of a smokey bar

She’s singing Hallelujah

All the fools are shouting over her

But she keeps singing Hallelujah”

From the song ”I hear your song, Sweetness”, by George Taylor

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Keeping with a musical theme, who remembers Feargal Sharkey ?

I was pleasantly surprised to learn recently that Feargal Sharkey is now a champion of the environment in the UK. More specifically, he is the champion of England’s beleaguered chalk streams. Sharkey is doing a whole lot to publicise the abuse of these unique and beautiful streams, that are in many places almost beyond rescue.  Who would have thought, that in a first world country, there would be government sanctioned abuse at the levels that Feargal Sharkey has been exposing. Countless streams pumped permanently dry, others pumped full of raw sewage, or used as a dumping ground for overflowing sewage works in times of high rainfall. With his profile, there is a lot that he can,and indeed, has been, doing about the situation. I have listened with delight to his radio broadcasts on BBC, and I follow him on Twitter, with a view to broadening my education on matters environmental.

There has to be a lot to learn from countries and catchments who have been there before. So in a similar vein, I follow the happenings in the Driftless area of Wisconsin in the USA, where trout stream restoration has been happening on a scale that I can only dream of. And I follow the WWF and countless other local environmental groups.

So what have I learned from my reading, and twitter following, and from Feargal Sharkey, and what are the implications for the conservation of our river catchments ?

Well, I think I have learned that :

  • Many people, with varying strengths and attributes can bring a variety of much needed skill, publicity, lobbying, money and drive to the work that is required in the environmental field.
  • I have learned that the field of environmental restoration and preservation is burdened by conferences and acronyms and strategic framework modeling, and the like  that is so expensive and slow moving that it threatens to sink the entire progress ship.
  • And in a similar vein, that on-the-ground real practical work, is happening in some wonderful and deeply encouraging examples, but that there are not enough of these to ever reach a sense of elation or victory for the environment on a large scale.
  • I have learned that there is, in most cases, a huge gap between business,on the one hand, and environmental work on the other.  The unquenchable thirst of man for profit at all costs, is so strong that meaningful funding is not forthcoming. That which is, is often channeled to humanitarian causes, and in any case is limited to that which earns CSI points.
  • It is proving difficult for organisations to monetise environmental gains that they are trying to package as “eco-system services” and “natural  capital”.
  • I have learned that the majority of  fly-fishermen, sadly, are not truly environmentalists at all. ( they like wearing that badge, but they don’t give up a day’s fishing easily)
  • I have learned that the national spend on environmental work comes out of the top end…the overflow….the luxury portion, and that in hard times it is the first to go.  This is not just true of South Africa.
  • Real, high level, large scale, and step-change environmental gains are likely to be expensive, uncomfortable, and unpopular. …..Unpopular amongst all those cappuccino drinking, self proclaimed, environmentalists with ‘save the rhino’ stickers on their big luxury cars…..(like me).

So, in summary:   In this field of stream restoration and care,  there is both cause for despair, and a need for unparalleled bravery.

My observations are impressions and generalisations. Some of them may prove to be untrue or unfair. Most of them will be cause for consternation and offence. As a quiet spoken, conservation-minded recluse, I seem to have an uncanny and newfound propensity to offend. That propensity has accelerated in direct proportion to my alarm at the degradation around me, and my conviction that some luxuries need to be sacrificed to get things done.

And there is so much that needs to “get done”, that one needs to carve out a small niche,  put your head down, and do your bit in your chosen area, and hope that someone will take on the other bits. I have chosen the niche of some upland streams and catchments in KZN. I hope someone has the hinterland and the beaches, and a whole lot of other streams.

So as George Taylor sang “Keep holding on”

2 Responses

  1. Appalled to learn that some of the lovely chalk streams I fished regularly are now under threat. Shows you – protect and preserve for our children is sooo important!

    1. Indeed Philip. If you are on twitter, follow Feargal Sharkey….he posts regularly and very informatively. Or Google him…. It is an eye-opener, and a sobering one at that.

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