Fish stocks boosted with conservation

A total of 6,000 barbel will be introduced in rivers which have suffered from poor water quality throughout the region, including the Dearne in South Yorkshire. It is the first time in a decade the species has been stocked in the River Dearne.

Half of the barbel will be stocked at five locations between Barnsley and Adwick-upon-Dearne, while the remaining 3,000 fish will be introduced in the River Aire at six sites between Kildwick and Thwaites Mill. There has been a concerted conservation effort by Yorkshire Water, industry and the Environment Agency along the rivers in a bid to turn around the poor water quality.

The Environment Agency’s fisheries officer, Pete Turner, said: “We target fish stocking activity using data from our fish surveys and information provided by the angling community to identify where there are problems with poor breeding and survival. Restoration and the creation of new fisheries for everyone to enjoy is a very important aspect to our work.”

The fish have been reared at the agency’s fish farm at Calverton in Nottinghamshire, where between 350,000 and 500,000 fish are produced to stock rivers nationally each year. It will be the last time the agency stocks barbel in the River Aire following a programme over recent years. The river will be closely monitored in the future as fish are allowed to spawn naturally. The Environment Agency is continuing to restore the Dearne, a tributary of the River Don, and has recently completed a fish and eel pass at a weir at Adwick.

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