Lyn
Fraley - 21-Sep-2006 - On (Thursday 21 September
2006) the Environment Agency will release 10,000
baby salmon into the River Churnet at Consall
Forge, near Leek and Cheadle. This will be the
first time in a hundred years that salmon have
been present in the river at Consall.
The salmon have been paid for
by the Trent Rivers Trust, who have already successfully
re-introduced salmon into the River Dove.
In the past, the Churnet was
traditionally a salmon river, but populations
of the fish declined as a result of industrial
pollution in the 19th century, when it became
possibly the worst polluted river in Europe. Recent
improvements in water quality have now made it
possible to return the fish to one of its natural
home rivers.
The young fish being released
today were born at the Environment Agency’s Kielder
Hatchery earlier this year (March). Now between
3 and 10cm long, they will spend the next winter
or two in the River Churnet before heading out
to the North Atlantic. After a few years at sea,
we hope they will return to the River Churnet
to spawn.
Water quality in the river is
vital to the survival of these young fish, and
to re-establishing salmon in the river. We urge
people to help them thrive by taking care to ensure
that the river does not become polluted.
This can happen when substances
such as oil and chemicals, or organic matter such
as agricultural waste or milk, enter the river
through surface water drains, which are designed
to collect only rainwater. Sometimes, washing
machines, showers or toilets can also be connected
inadvertently to the surface water system, leading
to pollution incidents. Environment management
officers regularly sample the river to ensure
that water quality remains good and anyone who
illegally discharges any waste into a watercourse
may be prosecuted.
Local people, especially those who use the river
for recreation, can help by reporting any pollution
to us immediately on our free 24hr Incident Hotline
on 0800 80 70 60.
Fisheries Officer, Mick Buxton,
says: "This is a historic day for the River
Churnet in Consall, as we return the salmon to
one of its natural homes. To ensure the baby fish
thrive it is really important that the river does
not become polluted. We are asking local people
to help by making sure they don’t allow polluting
substances to get into the river and by reporting
to us quickly any instances of pollution that
they see."
Notes to Editor
Trent Rivers Trust
Information about the Trent
Rivers Trust can be found at http://www.trentriverstrust.co.uk/
Salmon lifecycle
Salmon remember the scent of
their home river and will return after a number
of years at sea to breed in the river where they
were born. They lay their eggs in gravel in shallow
water in November and December. The eggs lie buried
in the gravel until March or April, depending
on the water temperature. The young fish mostly
spend two years in the stream, then make their
way to the sea, where they mature, eventually
coming back to their home river as adults to begin
the breeding cycle again.
