Hundreds of thousands of fish have been rescued from Thrapston Dyke, Nr Kettering, Northamptonshire, after oxygen levels in the water were too low to keep them alive.
The bream, perch and ruffe have been moved to the River Nene after some died and others became distressed in the stream.
Environment Agency fisheries officers have been moving the fish over the past two weeks and are mystified as to what has happened to them. Fisheries officer Andy Beal said: ” We have never seen so many fish in one place at any one time. The theory is that the fish were washed into the dyke during flooding when they were young and very much smaller. Now they are unable to get back into the River Nene and there are hundreds of thousands living in a small area which cannot sustain them.”
The theory is that the fish were washed into the dyke during flooding when they were young and very much smaller. Now they are unable to get back into the River Nene and there are hundreds of thousands living in a small area which cannot sustain them.
An Environment Agency spokeswoman said some dead fish were spotted up to three weeks ago by a member of the public. “Somebody reported some dead fish and others floating, unable to breath. There were a lot of fish in distress.”
Run-off from the town also ends up in the dyke so officers were keen to move the fish as soon as possible as pollution also depletes oxygen levels in the water.
Over 250,000 fish have already been moved from the site, and 95% were one-year-old bream with a few perch and ruffe.
