Nearly 4,000 juvenile fish have been released by Environment Agency fisheries teams in and around London rivers today Tuesday 9 December.

The Hogsmill at the Open space on the river Hogsmill, Beverley Brook at Richmond Park and the River Wandle near Ravensbury Park are now the new homes for the young fish thanks to a yearly stocking programme by the Environment Agency.

The batches of two year-old barbel, chub, roach and dace have been specially reared and trained for life in the wild at the Environment Agency’s Calverton Fish Farm in Nottinghamshire and were released into three different locations.

Environment Agency fisheries officers released Chub, Roach and Dace into the Hogsmill near West Ewell and the Beverley Brook at Richmond Park. Both are urban rivers and since they have begun to recover from historic pollution and degradation they have been stocked regularly by the Environment Agency. The rivers are still vulnerable from low water levels and at risk of pollution by mis-connections of domestic appliances and industrial accidents. However, these rivers offer valuable wildlife habitat and recreational space in a predominantly urban area.

The Wandle was stocked with Barbel, Chub, Roach and Dace at Hackbridge, Poulters Park, Ravensbury Park and Morden Hall. These areas were affected by a major pollution event in September 2007. The Environment Agency has been working closely with local and national angler groups, landowners and regulators to find opportunities to further improve habitat along the river and provide shelter for smaller fish in high flows and help protect them from predators and pollution events. Previous stocking has shown that fish thrive in the River Wandle because it is so productive.

Environment Agency fisheries officer Tanya Houston said: “The release of 4,000 fish into these rivers will really enhance the local environment. Healthy rivers have good fish populations which form a key element of the aquatic environment and our restocking programme ensures that a wide variety of fish can flourish and give local people the opportunity to enjoy the river within an urban area”.

The Environment Agency carry out more than 500 fish stockings transfers every year. Stocking of fish can bring socio-economic and conservation benefits to fisheries by increasing the numbers and species of fish available for capture, or by restoring stocks lost due to pollution or habitat degradation.

source: www.environment-agency.gov.uk

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