DEFRA Minister Richard Benyon officially opened a groundbreaking new coarse fish hatchery which local anglers hope will help to replenish stocks of coarse fish in the river Kennet.
The river’s recruitment has been severely impacted by siltation of spawning grounds from the re-opening of the Kennet and Avon Canal and the vast numbers of non-native signal crayfish which now inhabit this once famous chalk stream.
The American signal crayfish was first introduced to the UK for commercial farming purposes in 1976, against the advice of fishery scientists, and have spread to many river catchments wiping out the native white-clawed crayfish and devouring invertebrates and fish spawn.
The Berkshire hatchery, situated close to the river on land donated by the Englefield Estate, is a collaborative project led by the Reading and District Angling Association (RDAA) with support from angling clubs and fisheries along the Kennet Valley including Newbury AA, Civil Service AS, Red Spinners AS, CALPAC and Action for the River Kennet.
You can read the full article on the Angling Trusts website here.