Canoeing and the Environment
The canoe is a traditional craft used throughout the world for exploring wilderness areas and quietly observing wildlife and flora. It causes no erosion, noise or pollution, and leaves no trace of its passing. Canoeing, at appropriate water levels, is an environmentally benign activity and causes no damage to fish stocks.
As canoeists, we practise our sport on natural and man made environments. We have the potential to affect those environments that are so valuable to our experience. We need to be aware of, and to protect, the special features of the environment we use, whether it is on a natural river, the sea or on a manmade canal/course. It is important that paddlers themselves are not damaging the environment either. You may have seen signs on beaches etc which say “Leave nothing but your footprints” well canoeing should leave nothing at all as the ripples of a boat passing will soon be lost within the water course.
Enjoying the fauna and flora in the water environment is a key part of the canoeing experience. Canoe England believes that there is unlikely to be any significant impact on or lasting disturbance to wildlife and the water environment from the passage of canoes
Canoeists and kayakers take very seriously environmental concerns and already follow existing voluntary environmental codes of conduct, including Canoe England’s own guidance notes outlined in the “You your canoe and the environment” publication.
This section provides guidance on environmental issues which are pertinent to the waterways and the protection and use thereof.