Hazy phrases like “access to our blue spaces” hide the reality of the destructive impact on river wildlife caused by the popularity of wild swimming (Education calls grow after week of tragedies in England’s waters). My nearest river used to be a peaceful haven for wildlife. Its unofficial use last year as a “river beach” disturbed breeding kingfishers, causing them to abandon their nests. Wild swimming is the latest fashionable activity to prioritise the desires of human beings over other species’ right to survive.
Kika Everington
Stratford, London