The Border Esk regulatory regime now eyes enviously the River Tweed’s updated management system, says local MP David Mundell.

The Dumfriesshire MP was speaking after a Commons debate on a Parliamentary Order which allows the Scottish Executive to exclusively manage and regulate the River Tweed, even the portions of which are in England.

The Draft Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed) Order 2006 acts as a quid pro quo as the River Esk, sections of which are in Scotland, is controlled exclusively by the English Environment Agency.

Mr Mundell said: “I very much welcome this change as a sensible reform to make the management of the River Tweed more uniform and efficient. But as I pointed out in Parliament, this simply highlights the unsatisfactory situation on the Border Esk, where the Environment Agency has wreaked havoc by introducing rod licenses on the Scottish section of the river.

“It shows what a great pity it is that we’ve been lumbered in the deal that divided the management of the two rivers with the Environment Agency. An arrangement which had worked well for many years has been disrupted by the introduction of rod licenses.

“The River Esk must now be eyeing the new River Tweed arrangements with envy. What is more, while the River Tweed Commissioners have shown themselves to be sensitive to local circumstances, the Environment Agency has behaved in a crass and arrogant manner.”