WATER weed that provides a habitat and food source for wildlife is being cut unnecessarily in the Hampshire Avon, claims angler-turned conservationist Ray Walton.

Mr Walton, from Southbourne, said the SSSI/SAC-listed River Avon environment is affected every year by “intense unsympathetic machine weed cutting” carried out by the Envirnment Agency.

He claims the white flowering ranunculus weed and the creatures that depend on it are being “massacred” throughout the Avon Valley from Burgate to Burton.

He said the first cuts were made in June.

“No consideration was made for the wildfowl that were nesting on the ranunculus weed growth or that the Avon fish species were spawning at the time, or eggs had been laid on the weed or in the gravel beds,” he claimed.

“The huge weed cutting boats are indiscriminate in what they cut and also deliberately ‘scrape and disrupt’ the gravel bottoms where most of the macro invertebrates and insects – food for fish and all river life forms – are disturbed or destroyed in the process.”

He is filming the weed cutting activites and is to make a film for wildlife organisations.

The Angling Trust and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust are to meet to discuss the issue on September 7.

An Environment Agency spokesman said historically the work was carried out “on agricultural grounds and for drainage”.

“The agency is in the difficult position of trying to achieve a balance between the interests of the flood plain and the interests of the river.

“Weed cutting has always been contentious with some people wanting to see more weed removed from the Avon while others want the cutting to stop.

“By removing weed the Environment Agency provides a service for Natural England to help it achieve its conservation objectives.

“The Agency’s commitment to weed cutting on the Lower Avon beyond 2009 is currently under review, whereby the agency will reconsider its position to under-take this work and explore other options, one of which could be the cessation of cutting.”