Fish ‘dying in the shallow water’ of drying-up canal
FISH are reportedly dying in “inches of water” at a popular Mersey beauty spot. Spike Island in Widnes has been a popular spot for wildlife watchers for years, with swans, geese, and an array of fish gracing its waters.
However, in recent months, a drastic drop in water levels of the Sankey Canal has caused a crisis for the local ecosystem.
The drop in water levels is as a result of Fiddlers Ferry power station being decommissioned – the station had previously supplied fresh water to the canal via a pump – which has recently been switched off.
Footage and images shared with the Weekly News show the extent of the crisis, with large carp left in inches of water, and boats on beached.
Concerned residents have banded together in an attempt to spur action from the council to save the canal – forming the Save Our Sankey Canal Facebook page.
Volunteers from the group are out every day, rescuing and relocating stranded fish and animals.
Volunteer Jen Mcloughlin said: “Fish are now literally dying in shallow water.
“We know there’s no quick fix but they [Halton Borough Council] are not saying much about it.
“We need the fire brigade to fill the square pond so fish can be put in there for the time being.”
Halton Borough Council has released a statement regarding the canal at Spike Island: “The council could decide to pump the canal having water directly into the canal as opposed to the power station doing it, however the costs of taking over this process are very high and would require a large ongoing investment commitment.
“This, while not impossible, would be difficult as the council is currently facing ongoing budget challenges as part of the government’s austerity agenda and would need to cut something else to fund this.
“The welfare of the fish has always been one of our priorities, which is why we arranged a fish rescue exercise that began on May 12 and remains ongoing.
More than 8,000 fish have so far been safely relocated to an alternative water body.
“The council is working with its partners and any interested stakeholder on a number of potential solutions.
“These include paying for water to be pumped into the canal and engineering solutions to taking advantage of other developments in the area to collect surface water and deposit it into the canal.
“In considering these options consideration needs to be given to the costs and likely success. Once sensible solutions have been developed we plan to share these more widely.
“A few people have asked about the welfare of the swans and how they will cope with the dropping water levels.
“It is important to remember that swans are wild animals that are capable of flying away and changing location if they are distressed or if the water levels are causing them any concern.”