Member Article

Fish returned to North East waters

Fisheries officers from the Environment Agency will be introducing thousands of fish to two County Durham streams which have been brought back to life after years of pollution. Croxdale Beck near Croxdale and the River Team were once so polluted with sewage and mine water that fish and other wildlife could not survive.

Officers based in Newcastle plan to give them and the River Tyne an extra boost this month in a scheme which will see the three watercourses restocked with around 15,000 roach and dace. The Tyne will be restocked today, and Croxdale and the Team on November 22. Fish cannot swim into Croxdale Beck because of a waterfall at the mouth of the watercourse, and freshwater fish cannot get into the Team because it flows straight into the saltwater Tyne estuary, where such fish cannot survive.

Fisheries specialist Phil Rippon said: “We hope that restocking these streams will give them a new lease of life. “We have been working with Northumbrian Water on improving the quality of the water in the Croxdale and the Team, and it has now improved to a standard where fish can survive. “Our work will hopefully mean there will be enough of the same species to breed within the streams.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .