The EA report that some 6,000 barbel and 8,000 dace reared at their fish farm at Calverton, Notts will be stocked into the Clow Beck and the River Skerne in Darlington and the River Wear in Durham to help restore and boost natural populations of fish; dace will also be stocked in the River Gaunless.
These rivers have suffered from poor water quality and habitat degradation in the past but a concerted effort by the Environment Agency has helped turn them around.
The Clow Beck, that flows into the River Tees near Darlington, has recently had two fish passes constructed and 2km of habitat improvement for barbel and dace created by the Environment Agency and the Tees Rivers Trust.
Officers will also be stocking 3,000 tench and 6,000 rudd into a number of local stillwaters including Redhall Community Pond in Darlington, part of a project with the Redhall Community Group and Darlington Borough Council to establish a small coarse fishery that will be used to teach children how to fish.
They will also be stocking three stillwaters near Newcastle, Killingworth Lake, QE2 and Mount Pleasant lakes that both suffered serious fish kills during the previous winter.
