River survey’s amazing results
Survey reveals thriving stocks of river species de a species species from water many feared deadfrom water many feared dead
THE Environment Agency’s Great Ouse fisheries team has revealed some of the amazing fish caught during its monitoring programme, rubbishing rumours that the record-breaking river is dead.
Huge barbel, chub, perch and pike are just a few of the many thriving species revealed by the team during recent population surveys, which are used to investigate fry recruitment levels and the impact of pollution incidents, and are funded by fishing licence sales.
A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: “The main issue for riverine fisheries such as the Great Ouse is the lack of habitat,
and that’s what we invest in to really improve fish numbers and fishery performance.”
Speaking of the team’s latest findings, he added: “We had a good catch of large barbel on the Ouse at Cosgrove, near Milton Keynes. That was positive, as we’ve been working to conserve barbel populations in that area.
“Big perch are common throughout the Ouse and Fenland system, and there have also been significant chub catches, especially on the Cam, Ivel and Upper Ouse.
“It’s not just specimen fish that seem to be thriving, with juvenile silver fish populations also proving strong.
“The last two long summers have given perfect spawning conditions for many species, which means fry survival has been excellent, and fish numbers have boomed as a result.
“The local Great Ouse from Bedford through to St Ives has been on great form for local anglers, with impressive roach and dace weights,” the Defra spokesman added.