Hedgehogs to save fish in River Wear

[Editor]

Hedgehogs are coming to the rescue of fish in the River Wear through an innovative project being used for the first time in an English river.

Officers will be placing 12 fish refuges, called hedgehogs, in the River Wear near Prebends Bridge in Durham next week, to create safe places for the fish to hide from predators.

This will be the first time that the hedgehogs, designed and used widely in lakes in the USA, will be tried in a river in the UK.

The hedgehogs are named so because they are spikey, plastic balls, about one metre in diameter. When fastened on the river bed, they create a complex matrix of space that any size of fish can hide in, but the cormorants can’t swim through.

The hedgehogs will be placed in a 4.5 metre deep section of the river, so they won’t affect boat traffic, rowers or canoeists. Anglers can also cast into, and catch fish from the hedgehogs.

The hedgehogs have been supplied by Ipswich-based fisheries equipment company Fishkit.
Concerns about fish numbers

Paul Frear, fisheries officer at the Environment Agency said: “Local anglers are very concerned that fish numbers continue to be affected by cormorants in Durham.

“We wanted to try a new approach, that will help protect fish stocks without targeting the cormorants. The hedgehogs will really help boost fish numbers as they will prevent cormorants from catching important coarse fish and trout.

“Our research has shown that if it takes a lot longer for cormorants to find their food, their numbers in that area should reduce. With the fish being well hidden in the refuges, we can reduce the numbers being caught by as much as 70 per cent.”

John Hepworth, from Durham City Angling Club said: “Only five years ago the River Wear attracted anglers from almost every corner of the country, but today there are fewer anglers because fish numbers have been depleted.

“We fully support the work that Paul and his team are doing in Durham, and the work they continue to do on the River Wear and its tributaries. These refuges are much needed and will help to protect and restore the Wear’s silver fish populations back to what they were.”