The sum of £100 million pledged by environment minister Phil Woolas to project the Norfolk Broads against the ever rising North Sea during the next 50 years, appears to fall far short of the realistic cost of conserving this important freshwater habitat.

That is the view of local anglers and indeed all conservationists who point out that to fulfil this promise the government has to sanction the building of a tidal barrage at Great Yarmouth as well as meeting head on the threat of the sea breaching the vulnerable coastal defences between Eccles and Winterton.

A tidal barrier scheme has been on and off the agenda since the 1950s, and it was rejected by government in the 1970s on the grounds that the estimated bill of £70 million did not meet the cost/benefit criteria.

It does not require a mathematic genius to calculate that building such a tidal barrage today, even if it was somehow incorporated into the Yarmouth outer harbour scheme, would swallow all of the £100 million and possibly require much more.

Broads anglers who love their fishing as well as the ramblers and other nature lovers, are right to be concerned that the £100 million seemed to have been plucked out of the air simply to placate irate owners of properties inside the 25 square miles that would be allowed to become part of the North Sea under several options put forward by the government watchdog Natural England.

Mr Woolas stressed that it was the government and not Natural England responsible for sea defence policy and guaranteed money to protect this important nature reserve for the next 50 years.

Unfortunately, neither the minister nor the people to who he had made this promise would be around to pass judgement when the time comes and this has been pointed out by various members of local action groups and indeed interested anglers, that proper costings need to be calculated and published in full rather than loose proposals that can mean anything or indeed nothing at all.

Richard Starling, the Norfolk wildlife warden at Martham and Somerton, has observed water levels steadily rising in the Broads over the past 10 years or more.

“The tidal barrage is absolutely necessary to prevent further salt water penetration pushing through the estuary,” he said.

“Whatever funding is made available to bolster coastal defences between Eccles and Winterton it will have to be supplemented for a tidal barrage in the estuary.”

Tony Gibbons chairman of the Norwich and district Anglers Association whose popular stretches of the rivers Bure and Thurne are almost constantly under threat of winter saltwater flooding, remain philosophical and said: “I think we have to enjoy the Broads fishing while we can because I’m not sure that ultimately we can win the battle against the oceans if they are raised by some 23 feet as forecast.”

Former Yarmouth international angler David Docwra who at present is recovering from recent surgery, said he hoped to start fishing again in the autumn and added: “My friends say the Norfolk Broads and rivers have never fished better and I look forward to participating in this for several more years. Even so, I would like to believe that everyone’s grandchild and great grandchildren will be able to enjoy the Broads for what they are – important areas of outstanding natural beauty not only for anglers but everyone.”

Story by Roy Webster in the Norwich Evening News