THE item on ‘killer shrimp’ and other invasive species (The Press, April 14) made for interesting reading, again presuming the angler is allegedly responsible for the extensive spread of these ‘aliens’ around the country.

While fishermen do visit many different venues, the vast majority of them use “stink bags”, these containing wet or damp nets whilst being transported back to their homes.

Almost all organisations, certainly the local one, actively encourage members to either, on return home, to wash their nets and bags thoroughly, or lay them out in the garden for them to be ‘air-dried’, a process known to eradicate water-borne bacteria due to the effect of sunlight.

No doubt any shrimp, mussel or crayfish will not be able to continue to live for long under these conditions, thus it shows that the majority of anglers are sensible, responsible members of the community, by preventing further incursion into the watercourses.

They are also custodians of the waterways in the cases of events of pollution, being the ears and eyes to report such cases at any time during the year.

Of course, one cannot excuse the small minority that does not take these precautions.

R Hutchinson, General secretary, York & District Amalgamation of Anglers, St. Clements Club, Count de Burgh Terrace, York.