06.10.05 - CAN YOU HELP SOLVE MYSTERY FISH DEATHS?
The Environment Agency is appealing to members of the public to help find the cause of a serious pollution incident on a Devon stream that has left more than 1,500 fish dead. A mystery pollutant is believed to have entered the Shobrooke Lake stream near Crediton at the weekend.
The Environment Agency was alerted late on Sunday after two people walking the riverbank reported seeing dozens of dead and dying fish.
The casualties were mostly minnows, bullhead and lamprey but also included a number of other fish species including stone loach and eels. Approximately 100 young brown trout also died. The pollution has virtually wiped out the fish population on a 3 kilometre stretch of the stream, a tributary of the River Creedy.
The Environment Agency has launched a full investigation and officers have been on site since early on Monday looking for clues and carrying out fish and biological surveys.
The pollution appears to have been confined to the tributary as there was no sign of any dead fish in the Creedy or the River Exe further down the catchment. It is thought the pollution may have come from a farm, but as yet there is limited evidence to support this theory and investigations are continuing.
It is also possible there was an earlier pollution incident on the stream last week and the fish found at the weekend were either killed then or by a subsequent spill.
"
It is all a bit of a mystery. So far we haven’t been able to find any trace of a pollutant. It was clearly toxic to fish, but only affected part of the watercourse. We would like to hear from anyone who has noticed anything unusual about the stream over the past week or has information that could help us in our investigation," said Sean McKay for the Environment Agency.
Members of the public can call the Environment Agency’s free 24 hour hotline 0800 80 70 60 to report pollution incidents.
Source: The Environment Agency - October 2005
Contact: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
02.10.05 - FISH RESCUE FOLLOWING SOMERSET SLURRY SPILL
The Environment Agency has launched a fish rescue on the River Brue following a major farm pollution incident. Dozens of small fish including 20 brown trout died after slurry escaped into the Brue. A small number of crayfish have also been killed by the pollution that has affected a four kilometre stretch of the river between Bruton and Cole.
Environment Agency officers rescued more than 100 fish and have relocated them to a safe area upstream of Bruton. The deaths were caused by high levels of ammonia in the river. The spill was first reported on Sunday. Local angling clubs have been alerted. Crayfish have also been moved as part of the rescue operation.
Investigations by the Agency have confirmed the source of the pollution. Officers are satisfied suitable steps have been taken to prevent further spillage.
Flows in the River Brue are low at present and this has slowed dilution and dispersal of the slurry. Environment Agency ecologists are surveying the river to discover to full impact of the spill and have taken samples of invertebrates away for analysis.
"This was a serious pollution incident. We have had teams of officers on site monitoring the spread of the pollution downstream and investigating the spill. There were a number of fish, mainly small brown trout, showing signs of distress and these have been rescued," said Brian Payne for the Environment Agency.
An investigation into the cause of the incident is continuing. The Environment Agency will consider possible legal action against the person responsible for the pollution. Last year the Environment Agency had to re-stock a section of the River Brue after the local fish population was wiped out following an even bigger pollution incident. This latest spill is not as serious and the river is expected to recover more quickly.
Source: The Environment Agency - September 2005
Contact: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
01.10.05 - ENVIRONMENT AGENCY CONTINUES TO PROSECUTE ILLEGAL ANGLERS
Nearly 300 illegal anglers were prosecuted by the Environment Agency for rod fishing licence offences in June 2005. The total number of successful prosecutions for the month totalled 276. Fines totalled £18,470 with costs of £17,683 awarded to the Environment Agency, making the average cost of an illegal fishing trip around £130.
One of the highest fines for June was £800 imposed on four illegal anglers caught fishing without a valid licence in Wales. The highest number of successful prosecutions occurred in Thames, which saw over 60 successful cases concluded in the four-week period. The month of July saw a 23% drop in prosecutions with 213 illegal anglers successfully prosecuted for rod fishing licence offences. Fines for July totalled £14,759 with costs of £13,075 to Environment Agency.
Dafydd Evans, the Environment Agency’s Head of Fisheries said
"Rod licence fees are essential in improving and maintaining the standard of fisheries in England and Wales for all those who use them, which is why we have this programme of enforcement. It seems amazing that some anglers still choose to play unfairly and cheat. They are cheating honest anglers out of valuable resource for fisheries across England and Wales. Those who fish without a licence face tough penalties including fines of up to £2,500 and a ban from fishing."
Buying a licence couldn’t be easier - there are around 15,000 Post Offices and other outlets which sell them direct; and for a small additional charge they can be purchased over the phone [0870 1662662] or from their
web site.
Source: The Environment Agency - September 2005
Contact: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
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