Yorkshire barge operator left stranded as row over fish deaths in canal

John Branford set out from Goole on Monday (Jan 17) with a 400-tonne load bound for Leeds, but was not allowed through Pollington Lock.

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) asked operators to reduce the weight of their barges after complaints from anglers over fish deaths on a stretch of the Aire and Calder Navigation nine miles away near Knottingley.

The fish may have succumbed to pollutants in silt on the canalbed being stirred up as the barges pass through, and the Angling Trust, representing Mirfield and Walton fishing clubs, have got involved.

This week, specialists have begun taking samples to try and find the source of the problem. Mr Branford, 77, whose barge can carry up to 500 tonnes, said he was seeking legal advice.

A captain at 15, he reckons he’s taken 4m tonnes of freight off the road over his long career, and said the navvies who dug the canal “would be turning in their graves”. He said: “It’s like being in a prison, I can’t go up or down.

“I’m just trying to do my bit for the planet, but they seem to be doing everything in their power to stop me.”

Mr Branford said a 350 tonne limit is unfeasible given rocketing fuel prices and would leave him operating his business at a loss. Back in 2013, he was taking three fully-loaded barges on the navigation without any complaints.

He said: “Is it a commercial navigation or a fishing lake?”

Yesterday CRT said it had decided to temporarily suspend freight traffic on the navigation as fish deaths were continuing despite commercial barges running at slower speeds and with reduced loads.

Around 100 fish deaths were observed on the first commercial passage post-Christmas.

Chief executive Richard Parry said: “We appreciate the frustrations of pausing freight operations, but we must remain mindful of the environmental impact this is having. To allow it simply to continue to operate as normal, knowing that it is likely to cause numerous fish deaths, would be wrong.”

Jamie Cook, CEO of the Angling Trust said commercial barge traffic should not be allowed to resume until the fish deaths stopped.

He said: "The suspension of operations is welcome news, but what matters now is that all the stops are pulled out to ensure this is resolved."