Press release: Fish released to boost North East rivers

The Environment Agency has released more than 8,000 young fish into North East rivers to give stocks a boost.

The trout – bred at Kielder Salmon Centre in Northumberland – were released into the tributaries of the River Tyne.

There was 4,000 each released into the River Ouseburn at Woolsington and Brunton Park, and the River Team near Kibblesworth and Beamish.

The fish were released to the two recovering river system to support wider restoration projects and encourage natural recovery of fish stocks in the future.

Niall Cook, Fisheries Technical Officer at the Environment Agency in the North East said:

It’s hoped by giving the two rivers a boost it will help aid their natural recovery. Restocking is just one of the many things we do together with our partners to develop fisheries, including reducing the impact of any industrial legacy and pollution incidents.

But we’re also working hard to improve habitats and remove barriers to fish migration which make it difficult for fish to reach their natural spawning grounds.

Water quality is the best it’s been for decades and targeted and appropriate restocking has helped the restoration of natural fish stocks and viable fisheries. In fact returning salmon have already been seen in the lower reaches of the River Team recently, which is great news.

Fish releases

Each year Environment Agency staff release thousands of salmon and trout from Kielder Salmon Centre into the River Tyne and its tributaries. The centre breeds 360,000 salmon and between 10,000 and 20,000 trout every year to compensate for the construction of Kielder Reservoir and ensure the River Tyne and its tributaries continue to flourish.

In addition, last year they released 40,000 fish including chub, dace, roach, bream, barbel, tench, grayling, crucian carp and rudd into rivers across the North East which were reared at the Environment Agency’s fish farm near Calverton, Nottinghamshire, using funding from rod licence sales.

The Environment Agency releases fish into our waterways annually. Fisheries officers target fish stocking activity using data from national fish surveys to identify where there are problems with poor breeding and survival.

Angling is a great way to keep healthy and enjoy the natural environment. All rod licence income is used to fund work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries.