Topic analysis

River will take decades to recover from 'vandalism', ecologist says

Ecologist Richard Fishbourne states that a mile-long stretch of Herefordshire's River Lugg— a Site of Special Scientific Interest home to six protected species—will take 20 to 30 years to recover from severe damage caused by local farmer John Price. Price was jailed in 2023 for illegally removing gravel and felling 71 trees to build a road and horse yard; while Natural England and the Environment Agency report early signs of improvement in the river's condition, Fishbourne calls for more rigorous monitoring to ensure effective restoration of the impoverished ecosystem.