On the banks of the River Wye on the border between England and Wales, Pat Stirling flings a plastic measuring jug tied to a rope into the water.
Up and down the river, a team of 250 others have been doing the same, hoping to save it from an unfolding ecological crisis.
Stretching 250 kilometres from its source in mid-Wales to the Severn estuary, the Wye cuts through stunning countryside.People noticed that the usually smooth stones on the floor of the river had become"slimed up", said Stirling, 43, a carbon footprint consultant originally from Australia.Bird and insect life dwindled and anglers noticed that fish were struggling to grow to larger sizes.
Campaigners estimate that there are now 20 million farmed birds in the area of the River Wye in over 760 units. The manure is either spread onto farmland and then washed into the river by rain or into the river directly from the ground where it is dropped by free-range chickens. He welcomed the body's interest but added:"We also know they would never have done anything if we hadn't ."If the river is to avoid the two lowest categories -"part-destroyed" or"destroyed" - the authorities need to urgently pull the right"levers", he said.In a letter to farmers this month, Avara foods explained that contracts would be changed so their manure could not be sold within the Wye catchment area.
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