Barge firm and anglers in row over fish deaths on stretch of the Aire and Calder Navigation

Fifth generation barge operator John Branford, who says he’s never in his long career been associated with fish deaths, has been told he can carry on, but with lighter loads to limit silt disturbance – which he says will make his job uneconomical.

However anglers are furious and are demanding an immediate halt to commercial operations.

The Canal and River Trust said they were “concerned” by the fish deaths, which may be caused by pollutants on the canal bed being disturbed by deep-draughted freight vessels.

“This could be creating a toxic environment for the fish – possibly stunning them and making them susceptible to propellor strikes,” a statement added.

A team will be carrying out detailed sampling along the stretch in January to understand what is causing the initial distress to the fish.

The CRT said potential causes include historic pollution in the silt related to the canal’s industrial past, pollution from rainfall outflows into the navigation, flows from a combined sewer outfall at Fishergate by Ferrybridge Lock, or potentially a combination of these.

Mr Branford, 77, who captained his first barge aged 15, restarted freight deliveries from Hull to Leeds in September 2020 after a break of 19 years, only to be put out of action last December by a breach in the canal at Newbridge. He only restarted carrying grit sand in September.

Mr Branford said he was happy for anglers and environmental bodies to come on board and said another operator was facing the same claims.

He added: “It is a never ending saga. There’s been fishermen grumbling that we’ve been disturbing the fish and spoiling their fishing and a lot of abuse thrown out. I haven’t seen one dead fish.

“I’m just trying to do my job. They are accusing me of stirring up the mud, but it shouldn’t even be there if it was dredged properly. If there was plenty of water you wouldn’t disturb anything.”

On its website the Angling Trust (AT) said they were supporting the Mirfield and Walton angling clubs and there is “public anger over the killing of so many fish”.

Head of campaigns Stuart Singleton-White accused the CRT of a “relaxed attitude and a lack of concern" and said operations should remain suspended until the issue is resolved.

The AT said what was once a heavily polluted stretch now supports a large range and abundance of fish, and it was "alarming to receive regular reports, videos and pictures of sliced up and dead fish floating on the surface of the canal."

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We have carried out checks of our network in the area after being alerted to this incident and found no indication of incorrect operation of our assets or sewage escapes to the canal.

"Our teams did discover oil entering the canal from a private drain and we have passed this information to the Canal and River Trust to assist in their investigation.

“We hope the investigation being carried out in the New Year will provide more detail and we will be happy to assist the Canal and River Trust where possible.”