CatmanDan (emmo Jnr)
Senior Member
This has to be the worst thing to happen to any angler and fishery owners, truely sad. A heartbroken fishery owner is set to sell her lake after thousands of fish died in a suspected poison attack.
Carp and sturgeon began dying just hours after a mystery car was seen driving away from Kingfisher Lakes, at Wisbech St Mary, two weeks ago.
Since then retired teacher Florence Bliss, who bought the 31-acre complex in 2006, has lost ?50,000 of stock and been forced to close the lake to anglers.
Environment Agency scientists have taken samples of water from the lake and are waiting for test results to confirm whether anything was added to the water.
Mrs Bliss is convinced her fish were deliberately killed.
"A silver car drove straight down to the bottom car park; I didn't see any fishing gear in the car," she said.
"Within an hour of the car coming in, I had hundreds of fish dead and dying, short of oxygen. They must have thrown in the poison and left. It is absolutely soul destroying.
"The aerators were going, the water was not de-oxygenated, I knew straight away they had been poisoned. Some died immediately, others took days to die - it is likely that a strong chemical was added to the water.
"Hundreds of fish died, gasping for air, bleeding from the gills, and suffering from exploding blisters."
Mrs Bliss put a tonne of salt into the four-acre lake, in an attempt to purify the water and help heal the fish, following the suspected poisoning around 7.10am on Friday, August 22.
"These fish died in agony, that is what hurts," she added. "We have been pulling fish out of the water every day since."
Mrs Bliss, who has closed her business until further notice, has used wheelbarrows and a JCB to remove dead fish from the lake, which was popular with local anglers and disabled fishermen.
"I will restock just to sell, but the Environment Agency has advised me to wait until the water cools down. Some people have offered me their fish: that made me cry."
Mrs Bliss planned to turn the site into a holiday complex, being granted permission to establish 10 log cabins on site for disabled fishermen.
"I needed ?300,000 for the development, and the bank was ready to lend me the money," she added.
"This might bankrupt me," she said. "I had recently bought some cameras, but it was my mistake, I had not put them up."
Police are investigating the attack. Last night, a spokesman said: "We're looking into it and if anyone saw anything unusual at the fishing lakes we would be very interested to hear from them."
Anyone who saw anything suspicious should call Wisbech CID on 0845 456 4564.
Carp and sturgeon began dying just hours after a mystery car was seen driving away from Kingfisher Lakes, at Wisbech St Mary, two weeks ago.
Since then retired teacher Florence Bliss, who bought the 31-acre complex in 2006, has lost ?50,000 of stock and been forced to close the lake to anglers.
Environment Agency scientists have taken samples of water from the lake and are waiting for test results to confirm whether anything was added to the water.
Mrs Bliss is convinced her fish were deliberately killed.
"A silver car drove straight down to the bottom car park; I didn't see any fishing gear in the car," she said.
"Within an hour of the car coming in, I had hundreds of fish dead and dying, short of oxygen. They must have thrown in the poison and left. It is absolutely soul destroying.
"The aerators were going, the water was not de-oxygenated, I knew straight away they had been poisoned. Some died immediately, others took days to die - it is likely that a strong chemical was added to the water.
"Hundreds of fish died, gasping for air, bleeding from the gills, and suffering from exploding blisters."
Mrs Bliss put a tonne of salt into the four-acre lake, in an attempt to purify the water and help heal the fish, following the suspected poisoning around 7.10am on Friday, August 22.
"These fish died in agony, that is what hurts," she added. "We have been pulling fish out of the water every day since."
Mrs Bliss, who has closed her business until further notice, has used wheelbarrows and a JCB to remove dead fish from the lake, which was popular with local anglers and disabled fishermen.
"I will restock just to sell, but the Environment Agency has advised me to wait until the water cools down. Some people have offered me their fish: that made me cry."
Mrs Bliss planned to turn the site into a holiday complex, being granted permission to establish 10 log cabins on site for disabled fishermen.
"I needed ?300,000 for the development, and the bank was ready to lend me the money," she added.
"This might bankrupt me," she said. "I had recently bought some cameras, but it was my mistake, I had not put them up."
Police are investigating the attack. Last night, a spokesman said: "We're looking into it and if anyone saw anything unusual at the fishing lakes we would be very interested to hear from them."
Anyone who saw anything suspicious should call Wisbech CID on 0845 456 4564.