Leaping for joy as rivers teaming with life

Conservationists have conducted a concerted campaign to improve water quality after pollution from the Industrial Revolution led to a rapid decline in stocks.

The River Tyne continues to be the best river in England for salmon, ensuring its polluted industrial past is a distant memory. Efforts are also underway to increase the salmon population in Yorkshire’s rivers.

A scheme to allow sea trout and salmon into the River Derwent was announced earlier this year. Opening a barrage at Barmby on the Marsh in East Yorkshire, allows migrating fish to access the river and its tributaries.

East Yorkshire Rivers Trust said anglers could potentially catch 500 salmon and 1,400 sea trout in the river each year.

The River Tyne is the best river in England for salmon and this year more than 30,000 salmon will make the journey upstream to spawn, navigating various obstacles on the way.

One of these is the weir at Hexham, Northumberland, where dozens of fish can be seen trying to jump over the structure.

Many people come to watch the spectacle as the work done by the Environment Agency and other bodies to increase numbers means catching a glimpse of the “salmon run” is quite an easy task.

Chris Carter, fisheries technical officer for the Environment Agency, said yesterday: “The River Tyne is the best salmon river in the country, based on rod catch.

“Due to the industrial past of the River Tyne there was a lot of industry that polluted the river severely, but over the years the Environment Agency has worked with partners to increase the water quality in the area,” Mr Carter added.