The Environment Agency's National Coarse Fish Rearing Unit in
Calverton, Nottinghamshire produced and stocked 510,488 fish in
2024.
- The National Coarse Fish Rearing Unit in Calverton,
Nottinghamshire produced and stocked 510,488 fish in 2024 – an
increase of 6.5% on the previous year
- Over half a million, high quality, fit for purpose fish were
released into the wild throughout England
- The national fish farm is funded by income from rod licence
fees
Every year, the National Coarse Fish Rearing Unit at Calverton in
Nottinghamshire breeds coarse fish for release into rivers and
still waters across England to help boost fish populations.
In 2024, the fish rearing unit produced and stocked 510,488 fish
into waterways around the country – an increase of 6.5% on the
previous year when 478,937 were bred and stocked.
In addition, just under 2 million advanced reared larvae were
also stocked out into the wild.
Richard Pitman, Fish Farm Technical Specialist at the National
Coarse Fish Rearing Unit said:
The work of our national fish farm is funded by income from rod
licence fees, so it's great to see we are continuing to produce
strong and healthy fish needed for restocking and recovery.
Occasionally a helping hand is needed to restore the natural
balance following a pollution incident or decline, or to create
new fisheries and opportunities for anglers. The annual
national restocking programme is funded by income from rod
licence sales and usually takes place in the winter.
We take great care in ensuring that every fish is fit for purpose
when stocked out into the wild. During their 18 months+ at the
farm, the fish are fed live natural food, they encounter a range
of flora and fauna and are trained in flowing conditions while
being grown in the earth ponds.
Winter is a good time to introduce the fish into rivers, as the
water temperatures are low and this minimises any stress on the
fish, giving them the best possible survival rates. It
enables them to acclimatise to their new surroundings, ahead of
their spawning season in the spring.
The spawning season was challenging in 2024 due to the increased
rainfall and cool temperatures during the spring.
Richard explains:
This made locating and obtaining sufficient broodstock at the
optimum time difficult. These conditions also impacted the
start of our second-year production cycle. With the storms and
reduced temperatures experienced through April and into May, live
food production and pond advancement was reduced causing a
knock-on effect to the stocking programme.
Despite the challenging start in 2024, the team at Calverton
showed their dedication and commitment throughout the growing
season to produce an increase in fish production compared to last
year. Their diligence has resulted in over half a million, high
quality, fit for purpose fish, being released into the wild
throughout England.
Fish also play a critical role in sustaining a river's finely
balanced eco-system, so the wider natural environment also gets a
boost from restocking.
Further information
The National Coarse Fish Rearing Unit at Calverton remains the
Environment Agency's principal supply of coarse fish for
restocking.
The breakdown of the fish produced and stocked in waterways
across England in 2024 is as follows:
Barbel = 136,150
Bream = 48,274
Chub = 54,830
Crucians = 25,915
Dace = 47,420
Grayling = 48,359
Roach = 86,190
Rudd = 23,300
Tench = 40,050
The breakdown of fish stocked in the Environment Agency areas is
as follows:
Anglian – 144,750
Midlands – 75,990
North East – 141,820
North West – 25,900
South East – 83,569
South West – 38,459
357,149 fish were introduced into rivers, and 153,339 were
introduced into stillwaters.
Income from rod fishing licence sales is used to fund the
Environment Agency's work to protect and improve fish stocks and
fisheries. This includes improving habitats for fish, reinvesting
money back to facilities and clubs for anglers, tackling illegal
fishing and working with partners to encourage more people to
give fishing a go.
Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still
water needs a licence to fish. A 1-day licence costs from just
£7.10, and an annual licence costs from £35.80 (concessions
available). Junior licences are free for 13 -
16-year-olds.
Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or
by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am
and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
