Environmentalists hit out at Mr Farage after he hurled a box of haddock into the river in front of the Houses of Parliament in a Brexit protest alongside campaigners for the country’s fishing fleet.
Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Thames21 all waded in, accusing the former Ukip leader of increasing pollution in the Thames.
The environmental campaigners said Mr Farage and the fishermen had dumped fish in an “already stressed ecosystem”, adding his “moaning isn’t going to help anyone”.
Debbie Leach, CEO of Thames21, said: “The Thames, and all rivers, are delicate ecosystems which need to be respected and protected.
“Rivers are not places to simply dump things, without a second thought: today’s dumping of dead fish in the Thames increases the pollution load on an already stressed ecosystem, which Thames21, and others, work hard to improve.
“It is also a worrying illustration of the significant risk to UK rivers unless strong environmental legislation is included within the Brexit deal, so the government has a duty to ensure this approach.”
Mr Farage on the evening of the fishing protest took a hilarious call from a man named Chris, who had some choice words for the environmental complainers.
“The irony of it, Chris, I’m being criticised and condemned by a series of environmental groups, some of whom over the years have taken EU funding, and they’re saying what I have done is bad for the environment, when every day we’re throwing back tens of thousands of fish.” Mr Farage told his LBC caller.
The radio host’s guest proceeded to leave him in stitches with a hilarious quip about the complaints.
Chris replied: “It’s simple shroud-waving by these tofu-munching liberals, who are honestly think Brexiteers are zealots right to the very core of their souls.
“And, any issue you get involved in is like a red rag to a bull.”
Mr Farage’s stunt was also criticised by millionaire ex-footballer and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker.
Lineker took to Twitter to criticise the former Ukip leader sparking a furious row.
Alongside an image of Nigel Farage and Fishing for Leave campaigner Aaron Brown, Mr Lineker wrote: “Rarely have 2 such slimey, smelly, slippery creatures held on to some fish.”
Mr Farage instantly put the former England international’s moaning in the “same category” as Sir Bob Geldof, insisting the pair do not recognise the damage caused to the fishing industry by the Common Fisheries Policy.