Historically, upstream fish migration in the River Derwent was restricted because of a man-made weir near Swalwell, Gateshead, built during the Industrial Revolution. The new fish pass on the river, opened yesterday by Richard Benyon, allows salmon, sea trout and eels to swim up the river to spawn for the first time in more than 300 years; it will be closely monitored by underwater cameras to see how many fish are using it.
Natural Environment Minister Richard Benyon said:
“I’m delighted to be opening this fish pass and would like to thank all those involved for their hard work in making it happen. Our rivers are vital for our environment and we’ve all got a role to play in making sure they are as healthy as they can be.
By allowing salmon and sea trout to return this fish pass will create exciting new opportunities for fishing in the area and benefit the local economy. It shows that by working together we can make a difference and restore our rivers so they can be enjoyed by people everywhere.”
Jon Shelley, project manager for the Environment Agency, said:
“We’re delighted to have completed the fish pass and hope it brings significant benefits to the local economy.
By building this fish pass we are creating an affordable salmon and sea trout fishery within easy reach of Newcastle and Gateshead, and we hope local anglers will enjoy this. We also hope that by including a special eel section in the fish pass we will help boost the number of eels in our rivers after a dramatic decline over the last 25 years.”
The project was funded by a partnership between the Environment Agency and Gateshead Council.
Gateshead Council cabinet member for transport and environment Cllr John McElroy said:
“The River Derwent is at the centre of our plans to grow Gateshead’s rural economy. People think of Gateshead as being about The Sage Gateshead, Angel of the North or Metrocentre, but actually we’ve got some fantastic countryside teeming with wildlife. This fish pass will not only be the latest in a long line of major improvements for wildlife, it also opens up exciting new opportunities for fishing in the upper reaches of the Derwent.”
The River Derwent upstream of the weir currently achieves ‘moderate’ ecological standards under the Water Framework Directive – EU legislation governing the water quality in rivers. By enabling fish to pass upstream, the fish pass is expected to improve the river to ‘good’, which is a target of the directive.
