Environment Agency Fisheries Officers have rescued over 2000 fish from 2km of the River Churn in the South Cerney and Cerney Wick areas. The fish included brown trout, chub, dace, barbel, roach, perch and brook lampreys; the barbel are thought to have been fish previously stocked by the Agency from their Calverton Fish Farm as part of the restoration of the river.
The fish were trapped in pools in the river channel as a result of declining flows and small numbers of fish had already died before the team arrived and many more were in danger from suffocation, disease and predation.
EA Fishery Team Leader John Sutton said:
“Water levels along the River Churn have dropped significantly over the past few months and while we have seen rainfall in recent weeks, it has not been enough to recharge the water along many stretches.” He continued, “The rescued fish were safely transferred to the nearby Thames from where they should be able to recolonise their original habitat when flows recover later in the year and we will continue to monitor the reaches of the river that remain at risk.”
The Churn rises at Seven Springs near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and flows south through Cirencester before joining the River Thames near Cricklade in Wiltshire; it is a popular angling location and thought by many to be one of the best fly fishing rivers in the Cotswolds – although there are excellent populations of coarse fish throughout many reaches too.
