Post by Hoppy on Jun 8, 2007 20:57:40 GMT -1
New fish pass unveiled at Wilmington
The Environment Agency has completed work on a fish pass at Wilmington Fish Farm, near Axminster, Devon, which will help fish to freely migrate up the River Axe.
With improving conditions on the river and increased stocks of fish in recent years, the area can once again become a haven for wildlife.
The new fish pass has been built into the weir on the Umborne Brook, allowing fish to pass the weir by swimming and leaping up a series of baffles into the waters upstream. This will mean salmon and sea trout can reach the spawning areas above the large weir.
A tributary of the River Axe, it will open up approximately 10 km of prime spawning grounds. The pass compliments the salmon re-stocking programme that has been undertaken for several years, and the voluntary catch and release scheme which is critical to maintaining fish stocks.
Like many salmon rivers, the River Axe has a ‘Salmon Action Plan’ that pinpoints the main threats to local salmon stocks and helps the Agency decide how best to boost fish numbers.
The plan includes a conservation limit. This is a target for the number of salmon eggs needed to ensure enough young salmon survive in the river to sustain a healthy population. The River Axe had been failing to reach its salmon conservation limit.
In 2006, fish that had been reared by the Environment Agency had been recorded returning to the River Axe, and it was the second highest number ever recorded. The Agency now plans to release some of its hatchery reared juveniles from native Axe salmon above the pass and monitor whether they return in future years.
The Environment Agency has been focussing on the River Axe to improve fish habitat and reduce the impact from farm pollution to help ensure the area is top class for salmon.
‘This fish pass will greatly benefit the number of trout and salmon spawning in the River Axe. It will improve biodiversity further up the river, encouraging otters, kingfishers and bittern. It is also hoped that migratory fish like salmon, lamprey and eels, which are under threat, will also return in greater numbers,’ said Andy Locke for the Environment Agency.
‘The whole scheme would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of the fish farm,’ he added.
The salmon action plan pinpoints the main problems limiting salmon stocks on the river, sets a target conservation limit and then focuses on the work necessary to meet that target. The conservation limit is the number of salmon eggs needed to ensure that enough salmon survive in the river to sustain the population.
The Environment Agency will monitor the biodiversity improvements and fish populations. It will also collect information from every stage of the fish’s lifecycle using trapping, tagging and other survey methods.
The Environment Agency has completed work on a fish pass at Wilmington Fish Farm, near Axminster, Devon, which will help fish to freely migrate up the River Axe.
With improving conditions on the river and increased stocks of fish in recent years, the area can once again become a haven for wildlife.
The new fish pass has been built into the weir on the Umborne Brook, allowing fish to pass the weir by swimming and leaping up a series of baffles into the waters upstream. This will mean salmon and sea trout can reach the spawning areas above the large weir.
A tributary of the River Axe, it will open up approximately 10 km of prime spawning grounds. The pass compliments the salmon re-stocking programme that has been undertaken for several years, and the voluntary catch and release scheme which is critical to maintaining fish stocks.
Like many salmon rivers, the River Axe has a ‘Salmon Action Plan’ that pinpoints the main threats to local salmon stocks and helps the Agency decide how best to boost fish numbers.
The plan includes a conservation limit. This is a target for the number of salmon eggs needed to ensure enough young salmon survive in the river to sustain a healthy population. The River Axe had been failing to reach its salmon conservation limit.
In 2006, fish that had been reared by the Environment Agency had been recorded returning to the River Axe, and it was the second highest number ever recorded. The Agency now plans to release some of its hatchery reared juveniles from native Axe salmon above the pass and monitor whether they return in future years.
The Environment Agency has been focussing on the River Axe to improve fish habitat and reduce the impact from farm pollution to help ensure the area is top class for salmon.
‘This fish pass will greatly benefit the number of trout and salmon spawning in the River Axe. It will improve biodiversity further up the river, encouraging otters, kingfishers and bittern. It is also hoped that migratory fish like salmon, lamprey and eels, which are under threat, will also return in greater numbers,’ said Andy Locke for the Environment Agency.
‘The whole scheme would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of the fish farm,’ he added.
The salmon action plan pinpoints the main problems limiting salmon stocks on the river, sets a target conservation limit and then focuses on the work necessary to meet that target. The conservation limit is the number of salmon eggs needed to ensure that enough salmon survive in the river to sustain the population.
The Environment Agency will monitor the biodiversity improvements and fish populations. It will also collect information from every stage of the fish’s lifecycle using trapping, tagging and other survey methods.