Anglers from all over London gathered in Denton, Gravesend, to take part in the Thames Fishery Research Experiment competition 2014 this. 76 anglers in eight teams competed for the Lady Howard trophy, awarded to the team with the highest score. Other awards were dished out for ‘best team’, ‘best catch’ and a bio-diversity award.
The event is organised by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with the Thames Angling Preservation Society and the Environment Agency.
The experiment has a serious scientific side as well as its competitive element. The results provide an indicator as to the environmental condition of the Thames with the statistics analysed by the Environment Agency and Thames Angling Preservation Society.
In total, 101 fish were caught consisting of eight species: sole, rockling, eel, flounder, whiting, plaice, pouting and smelt.
The ‘Kent Angling Team’ came out as team winners with the highest number of points and the best individual catch was awarded to Tim Fagg who landed a 35cm sole in the same team.
The bio-diversity award went to Kirk Watson of Kent Angling Team who caught three different species of fish.
Wendy Mead, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Port Health & Environmental Services Committee, said:
“The Thames Fishery Research Experiment is one of my favourite events of the year. Although highly competitive it is also great fun and very good humoured. Involving the local riverbank communities – including schools – to establish the current health of the Thames shows the importance of this marvellous resource and how highly the City Corporation regards its safe-guarding responsibilities.”
The City of London Corporation acts as the London Port Health Authority, the largest port health authority in the UK, covering the tidal Thames from Teddington Lock to the Thames Estuary. It is responsible for all port health functions on the Thames, including the ports at Tilbury, London Gateway, Thamesport, Sheerness and London City Airport. Functions include food safety and hygiene, vessel inspections, issue of ship sanitation control certificates, environmental controls and infectious disease controls.
