11/04/2006
- The Environment Agency is reminding the North
West’s angling clubs to manage carp fisheries
with particular care this spring, after several
incidents last summer in which carp died in large
numbers.
The Environment Agency’s Bill
Darbyshire said: "Tests on carp that died
last summer in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater
Manchester were inconclusive. We can only conclude
that the area’s carp could be more vulnerable
than usual and so we’d like to remind angling
clubs that they will need to manage their waters
particularly carefully this year.
"Crowded waters can cause
problems for carp, particularly in very hot or
very cold weather, when oxygen levels in the water
are lower. Fishery managers can avoid this by
not over-stocking.
"We also advise that anglers
try not to subject carp to unnecessary stress.
Handling and moving carp, keeping them out of
the water for too long and holding them in keep
nets can all cause stress to the fish, making
it harder for them to cope with low oxygen levels,
parasites and disease.
"If you do find fish that
are dead or dying, please don’t move them – instead,
report the incident to the Environment Agency,
using our free 24-hour emergency number, 0800
80 70 60. We’ll be able to give you help and advice.
You can also protect stocks by closing waters
in which unexplained carp deaths are occurring."
In all circumstances, the Environment
Agency also recommends that anglers dry fishing
equipment in direct sunlight and never move fish
from one river to another without the Environment
Agency’s permission.
"We’re pleased to say that
most anglers in the region already follow this
advice as best practice," explained Bill
Darbyshire, "but it will be particularly
important for carp fishermen in the coming months."
Notes
Between May and July 2005, an
unusually high number of carp deaths were reported
on rivers, canals and smaller fisheries in Cheshire,
Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
Extensive tests at the Environment
Agency’s laboratories suggested that the carp
were not killed by disease. The Environment Agency
also ruled out pollution as a cause of death after
taking water samples from the site of each incident.
