Environment Agency makes fish delivery to battered becks

09/11/2006

Fisheries officers from the Environment Agency will be introducing thousands of fish to two County Durham streams which have been brought back to life after years of pollution.

Croxdale Beck near Croxdale and the River Team were once so polluted with sewage and minewater that fish and other wildlife couldn’t live in its waters.

Now, officers based in Newcastle plan to give them and the River Tyne an extra boost this month in a scheme which will see the three watercourses restocked with around 15,000 roach and dace.  

Environment Agency surveys show that certain native species only survive in the watercourses in small populations so around 10,000 roach will be introduced to the Tyne, 5,000 dace will be put in the Team and 1,000 dace will be put in Croxdale Beck.

Fisheries specialist Phil Rippon said: “We have been working with Northumbrian Water on improving the quality of the water in the Croxdale and the Team, and it has now improved to a standard where fish can survive.

“We hope that restocking these streams will give them a new lease of life. At the moment nature cannot take its course because the fish are prevented from moving around the catchment. Our work will hopefully mean there will be enough of the same species to breed within the streams.” 

Fish are prevented from swimming into Croxdale Beck because they cannot ascend a waterfall at the mouth of the watercourse, and freshwater fish like roach and dace can’t get into the Team because it flows straight into the saltwater Tyne estuary where freshwater fish cannot survive.

Officers will be restocking the Tyne on Monday, November 13, and Croxdale and the Team on Wednesday, November 22. The fish are a year old and come from the Environment Agency’s Leyland hatchery near Preston.

Notes to editors

Anyone interested in a photograph opportunity should confirm details beforehand with Francesca Glyn-Jones or Alexandra Wales in the press office by ringing 0113 231 2469. Timings are dependent on the fish arriving from the hatchery.

The team will be at Tyne Green Country Park at Hexham on Monday, November 13 at 12.30pm to restock the Tyne with roach, and at noon on Wednesday, November 22 at Beamish Country Hall Hotel, Beamish to restock the Team with dace.  For further information contact the press office on 0113 231 2469/ 2381 or outside normal office hours, please call 0800 80 70 60.