Flying fish draw in crowds to lake rescue
FLYING fish drew in the crowds as work at South Park lake got underway.
Council workers have been dredging the lake - known as Ryles Pool - to remove excess silt in a bid to clear it as part of a £400k park revamp.
But the routine job became a rescue mission when a number of fish became trapped in heavily silted netted off sections and were at risk of suffocation.
Staff waist deep in sludge had the slippery task of finding the fish and throwing them through the air back into the main pond - much to the amusement of park visitors who gathered to watch huge fish being flung to safety.
Park user Gillian Green, 74, of Grange Road, said: “It’s certainly causing a lot of interest, what with the dredging and now the fish being thrown back in. The children love it. Everyone’s coming down to see what’s going on. When they’re spending so much money you want to come and have a look what’s going on. There are some really big fish stuck where they have netted off section. It should be lovely when they’re done, it’s really tidying the park up. Already we can see the difference in the lake. The whole lake was covered in green before and already it’s clearer where they have been dredging.”
The council confirmed no fish were harmed during the process, however some readers expressed concerns over the method the council used to remove the fish.
Commenting on our facebook page Hazel Kinsey said: “Did they not think to take out the fish before starting dredging?”
Dan Bailey added: “I was down today, what a disgrace. Those fish are the only reason people fish that pond.”
A Council spokesman said: “We wish to reassure residents that this is the most effective method for relocating the fish to deeper water during the de-silting works. Silt removal will increase the depth of water, reducing nutrient levels and water temperatures, leading to increased oxygen levels. This will help to establish a more stable aquatic environment and reduce the risk of stress to the fish.
“We have seen no evidence of decreasing fish numbers or dead fish. If anyone has witnessed evidence of dead fish, please contact the Council.
The de-silting work will continue until mid-September and the silt will be deposited to form new embankments, which will be planted up in Spring 2017. The work has been funded by a pot of cash collected from developers and a £49,000 grant from Wren, a not-for-profit business that distributes grants for community projects using funds from landfill levies.