The Environment Agency has boosted the barbel population in the
River Loddon this winter, as fisheries officers released more
than 300 marked juvenile barbel into the Whistley Mill, on the
Reading and District Angling Association section near Twyford.
This barbel-stocking marks the second phase of a two-year project
between the Environment Agency and the Loddon Fisheries and
Conservation Consultative (LFCC). The scheme’s aim is to improve
the barbel population, investigate their growth rates and track
the movements of barbel within the river Loddon at Swallowfield.
Anglers are asked to please report any captures of marked barbel
to help the Environment Agency gather important information on
their survival, growth rates and how far the fish are moving up
and downstream. Photos should be taken on both sides of the fish
and a record of the length and weight if possible. This
information should then be sent to “Report a
Barbel” (lfcc.org.uk).
Collecting this information will be an indicator of the stocking
success compared with the natural recruitment within the river,
and will hopefully help stocks of barbel in the River Loddon
continue. The Environment Agency and LFCC are actively supporting
these introductions to assist with healthy barbel numbers in the
medium term and it is hoped that this will happen naturally over
the next few years.
Environment Agency fisheries team leader for Berkshire Peter Gray
said:
“We’ve responded to concerns of anglers about declining fish
stocks, including barbel, and this project will hopefully give us
some good data to monitor barbel populations.
“The work will also help anglers increase their knowledge of fish
populations in the river, growth-rate and just how far up and
downstream the barbel migrate.”
All 300 barbel released have a blue dye mark between the pectoral
fins. The process of marking is not harmful to the fish, and is
carried out so that individual batches of fish can be identified
in the future. This is the second batch of marked barbel which
have been released into the River Loddon, 600 having been
introduced in November 2021, 6 miles (10km), upstream at
Arborfield. In addition, some of the larger existing Loddon
barbel have been marked by the local angling club at
Swallowfield. This has been a gradual process over the past few
years as fish are captured by anglers, and it is hoped more
information can be learned about these individual fish.
The Environment Agency has also been working with LFCC and local
angling clubs on winter stocking fillers including barbel, roach,
dace and chub. Several hundred of each species were released
around the Arborfield area.
All fish delivered are 18 months old and have been bred at the
Environment Agency’s Calverton Fish Farm near Nottingham, which
has been the Environment Agency’s principal supply of coarse fish
for 31 years.
The Environment Agency has bred species at its fish farm in
Nottinghamshire since the 1990s
All rod licence income is used to fund work to protect and
improve fish stocks and fisheries. You can buy
your rod licence online.
The product used to mark the fish is alecian blue dye and has
been used as a method in fish-marking projects all over the
world. The marking process does not harm the barbel.
Every year, the Environment Agency stocks almost half a million
fish of nine different species into England’s rivers.
To help crack down on fisheries crime, the Environment Agency
urges anyone to report illegal fishing and other offences by
calling 0800 807060.
Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500, and offenders
can also have their fishing equipment seized.
The Environment Agency inspects rod licences throughout the South
East, and works continually on cases of illegal fishing and other
associated fisheries crime.
It’s easy to buy a rod fishing licence online. Get a rod fishing
licence: https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences
Rod fishing licence income is vital to the work of the
Environment Agency to maintain, improve and develop fisheries.
Revenue generated from rod fishing licence sales is reinvested to
benefit angling, with work including tackling illegal fishing,
protecting and restoring habitats for fish and improving
facilities for anglers.
Link to short video - https://we.tl/t-wwyzhr4IKJ
