 Rowley DAS officials check on the barbel that have boosted the River Severn. | A fish stocking on one of Britain’s best barbel rivers could be key to improving angling action in the future. Some 250 barbel went into a Rowley DAS stretch of the River Severn at Coalport in Shropshire. The introduction of the fish is |
part of a scientific study being conducted by the Environment Agency.
The EA, in partnership with the club, are trying to understand whether stocking barbel into larger rivers like the River Severn will improve the health of fish stocks and improve angling.
Chris Bainger, fisheries technical specialist at the EA, explained: “The members of Rowley DAS have always worked very closely with us, even if the angling on the middle Severn has gone through the good times or bad.
“They have consistently provided timely fishing match catch returns for two decades which gives us a great insight to the health of river and its fish stocks.
“We have taken this opportunity backed by the historical data they have provided, to include this stretch of river and the catch returns from anglers as part of this study.
“We have acquired 250 10–18 inch two-year-old barbel from the rod licence funded fish farm at Calverton in Nottingham.
“These fish are purely river strain fish and have been reared in conditions that enhance their fitness for river life.
“Each of the fish are marked so that local anglers will be able to identify them as the stock fish from this year,” Chris concluded
RDAS committee member Max Taylor said: “We have already been assisting the EA in collecting additional data from the barbel we catch in our section of the river.
“A couple of summers back, Chris came along issued us with kits and trained us how to record the barbel we catch in detail.
“Firstly we would measure the length, record individual weight and remove some scales so that the fish can be aged.
“I am told this will give us a real good indication to the health of fish and this fishery in the River Severn compared to other rivers in the country like the River Trent, where very similar studies are happening,” Max added.
RDAS committee members have been informed of the capture of 13 of the marked fish from last year, with the majority of those recorded having been caught downstream in the Bewdley area during the Kidderminster DAA matches.
The River Severn was first stocked with barbel 62 years ago with large adult fish brought in from the River Kennet in Berkshire from then they colonised the river.
Subsequent stockings of barbel have never been as successful as that first initial stocking. Some fisheries scientists believe that is because barbel have now exploited and filled that available niche.
The Severn barbel were just one of a large number of fish stocking projects the EA has recently been involved in.
In the past four weeks 143,000 fish reared for up to 18 months have been released into 41 stillwaters and 30 rivers. Plenty more fish stocking is planned by the EA for the coming weeks.
The EA, in partnership with the club, are trying to understand whether stocking barbel into larger rivers like the River Severn will improve the health of fish stocks and improve angling.
Chris Bainger, fisheries technical specialist at the EA, explained: “The members of Rowley DAS have always worked very closely with us, even if the angling on the middle Severn has gone through the good times or bad.
“They have consistently provided timely fishing match catch returns for two decades which gives us a great insight to the health of river and its fish stocks.
“We have taken this opportunity backed by the historical data they have provided, to include this stretch of river and the catch returns from anglers as part of this study.
“We have acquired 250 10–18 inch two-year-old barbel from the rod licence funded fish farm at Calverton in Nottingham.
“These fish are purely river strain fish and have been reared in conditions that enhance their fitness for river life.
“Each of the fish are marked so that local anglers will be able to identify them as the stock fish from this year,” Chris concluded
RDAS committee member Max Taylor said: “We have already been assisting the EA in collecting additional data from the barbel we catch in our section of the river.
“A couple of summers back, Chris came along issued us with kits and trained us how to record the barbel we catch in detail.
“Firstly we would measure the length, record individual weight and remove some scales so that the fish can be aged.
“I am told this will give us a real good indication to the health of fish and this fishery in the River Severn compared to other rivers in the country like the River Trent, where very similar studies are happening,” Max added.
RDAS committee members have been informed of the capture of 13 of the marked fish from last year, with the majority of those recorded having been caught downstream in the Bewdley area during the Kidderminster DAA matches.
The River Severn was first stocked with barbel 62 years ago with large adult fish brought in from the River Kennet in Berkshire from then they colonised the river.
Subsequent stockings of barbel have never been as successful as that first initial stocking. Some fisheries scientists believe that is because barbel have now exploited and filled that available niche.
The Severn barbel were just one of a large number of fish stocking projects the EA has recently been involved in.
In the past four weeks 143,000 fish reared for up to 18 months have been released into 41 stillwaters and 30 rivers. Plenty more fish stocking is planned by the EA for the coming weeks.
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