British rivers have been extensively modified through channelisation, weirs, and pollution. River restoration — returning rivers to more natural conditions — produces immediate welfare benefits for fish, invertebrates, and mammals.
River restoration is one of the most direct and measurable welfare interventions available for freshwater animals. Removing a weir enables salmon and trout to access spawning grounds they have been excluded from for generations — immediately improving reproductive welfare for potentially hundreds of fish. Re-meandering a channelised river creates habitat complexity where previously only a uniform channel existed — supporting invertebrate communities that feed fish, birds, and mammals throughout the catchment. The welfare benefits cascade through the food web — every habitat improvement for invertebrates improves the nutritional welfare of fish, otters, kingfishers, and herons above them.