Anglers who catch any barbel with blue dye on their bellies in the Bristol Avon between Bath and Chippenham are asked to tell the Environment Agency, which is monitoring their movement and survival.
The agency released 1,500 dye-marked barbel at three locations between Bathford and Christian Malford. All the barbel were aged 18 months and had a blue dye mark on the underside of the fish. The dye mark will last for 2 to 3 years.
Anglers who catch them are asked to email sw_nwessexfrb@environment-agency.gov.uk with the location and date of capture plus the rough size of the fish from nose to fork, or its weight.
Suspected decline prompts monitoring
Jim Flory, area environment manager, of the Environment Agency said:
The number of barbel being caught in the Bristol Avon catchment appears to be declining in recent years.
This ‘mark recapture’ method of monitoring will give us a better idea of where these barbel are migrating and how well they’re growing in the river. This will then give us a better idea of their lifecycle in the Bristol Avon catchment.
The release happened as part of the Environment Agency’s annual fish stocking in December when water temperatures are low. In total, over 4,000 fish were released in and around Somerset to restock locations where numbers were low.
Fish like this crucian carp were restocked at Taunton
A rod licence is needed for angling and licence money funds the agency’s Calverton Fish Farm in Nottingham which provides a wide range of fish to angling clubs and watercourses including crucian carp, chub, tench, roach, rudd, bream and barbel.
Along with the 1500 barbel stocked into the Bristol Avon, 400 roach went into Taunton Angling Association’s Maunsel pond, 250 chub went into the River Yeo at Ilchester, 1,750 fish went into Huntstrete fishery at Bathampton Angling Association and 200 crucian carp were stocked into a fishery near Yeovil.
Background
- 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.
