Thousands of fish to join major rivers

FOUR thousand fish are set to be released into two of Yorkshire’s major rivers thanks to major improvements in water quality.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Nov 2011, 06:00 BST

Fisheries staff from the Environment Agency will this week introduce 3,000 barbel into the River Aire in Keighley, Bradford and Leeds.

They will also release 1,000 into the River Don, with 500 entering the water at Kilnhurst, Rotherham, and the same number at Blackburn Meadows in Sheffield.

The barbel have been bred at the Environment Agency’s fish farm at Calverton, Nottinghamshire, and will survive as a result of what experts described as “great improvements” in water quality.

Fisheries officer Peter Mischenko said that no more fish would be released in the River Don because evidence showed that the resident population was currently breeding well.

Work will continue to restock the Aire and clear obstructions to fish on both rivers.