A press release from the Environment Agency:
Increased temperatures and low rainfall can combine to make challenging conditions for migratory fish. Oxygen levels in the water can become dangerously low, placing the fish at risk, and salmon have been dying in the Tyne estuary over the past week as a result of these conditions.
Anglers and other people enjoying the riverside environment are therefore being asked to promptly report any signs of diseased or dead fish to the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 807060.
Anglers are also being encouraged to take extra care when returning fish to the river, by giving them more time to recover.
Michael Donkin, Environment Monitoring Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said:
“Long periods of hot weather with low rainfall can see significant changes in water conditions. Migratory fish can become distressed or even at risk of death because oxygen levels can drop substantially.
Fortunately the Environment Agency is prepared to respond to such incidents, and in some cases we may carry out rescue operations to protect the fish population. However, it is important that we know about the problems as soon as they occur. Our officers carry out routine patrols and water sampling, but others can help us by letting us know if they see evidence of fish in difficulty.
Any reports can be given to the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 807060. It’s free to call this number and your timely information could help save these important species.”
The Environment Agency works closely with water companies to protect fish stocks throughout summer. This work involves carrying out routine water sampling, investigating reports of dead fish, and rescuing fish where they are at risk of suffering harm from the conditions.
Officers also schedule water releases from Kielder reservoir to encourage migratory fish to move from the lower river and estuary of the Tyne to freshwater sections of the river upstream.
Water releases from Kielder typically involve the discharge of water over a three-day period at a rate of 9.3 cubic metres per second. A release earlier in July saw an increase in the number of salmon moving upstream: the fish count at Riding Mill saw an extra 400 fish moving upstream.
An additional water release was planned to begin yesterday (Wednesday 24 July) following the recent spell of hot, dry weather. River water temperatures peaked on Thursday 18 July, reaching a maximum of 24 degrees Celsius in the catchment.
