IFM49thAnnualConference

“ThrivingorSurviving–CreatingResilientFisheries”

TheGuildhall,Hull .

October16th–18th2018

Programme and Abstracts

TheInstituteisverygratefulforthesupportofthefollowingorganisations.

TuesdayOctober16th.9.30–17.20

Opening Session

Session Chair: Peter Spillett. IFM

09:30 Ian Dolben, Conference Chair

Welcome from the IFM Yorkshire Branch

09:40

George Eustice MP

Launch of the International Year of the Salmon and Official Conference Opening (Via video link)

10:00

Martyn Lucas, Durham University,

John Gregory Lecture

Fish, space, and river reconnection

10.50 Break

Session 1. Resilient Fisheries 1

Session Chair: Paul Coulson, IFM

11:20

Steve Axford, IFM

Recovery and restoration of salmon stocks in the rivers of north east England

11:40

Martin Slater, Environment Agency

Our Rivers Recovery & Renewal: Reconnecting Yorkshire’s Rivers

12:00

Ian Cowx, Hull University

Recent explosion of pink salmon in European waters - what is responsible: invasion or climate extremes

12:20

Magnus Johnson, SEMS

A trans-Atlantic perspective of lobster (Homarus) fishing, management and trade

12:40

Rachel Ainsworth, Hull University

Declining resilience in fisheries: what happens when inland fisheries are lost?

13.00 Panel Q&A

13.10

LUNCH

Session 2. Resilient Environments

Session Chair: Lawrence Talks. Environment Agency

14:00

Peter Walker, RSK

Creating sustainable homes – a need for long lasting habitat improvements for eels

14:20

Kathy Hughes, WWF

SHOAL. An innovation to help solve the Freshwater species crisis

14:40

Mark Tinsdeall, Yorkshire Water

Yorkshire Water Flow Adaptive Management

15:00

David Bunt, Sustainable Eel Group

The Sustainable Eel Group – Creating Resilient Eel Fisheries

15.20

Panel Q&A

15.30

Break

Session 3. Habitat Management for Fish Session Chair: Kathy Hughes, WWF

16:00 Andy Nunn, Hull University

Managed realignment for habitat compensation: use of a new intertidal habitat by fishes

16:20

Shams M Galib, Durham University

Is current floodplain management a cause for concern for fish and bird conservation in Bangladesh’s largest wetland?

16:40

Ibrahim G. Alharthi, Hull University

Primarily aspects on Saudi freshwater fish resilience

17:00 Jon Grey, Wild Trout Trust

Habitat improvement & angler engagement on the Upper Aire, Yorkshire

17.20

Panel Q&A

Break 17.40 IFM Annual General Meeting All IFM members are invited to attend. The agenda, and minutes of last year’s meeting, will be available in advance on the IFM website and in hard copy at the conference.

19.30 – 22.00 The Yorkshire Social (and poster session). The Humber Street Distillery. Hull Marina

Wednesday October 17th 9.15 – 17.45

Session 4. Yorkshires Rivers

Session Chair: Richard Noble. Hull University

09:15

Pete Turner, Environment Agency

There’s a change in the Aire

09:35

Tim Stone, Hull University

Fisheries and habitat response to physical habitat restoration in the River Washburn, North Yorkshire (UK).

09.55

Jon Traill, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

From Brown trout to Bittern - the Skerne Wetlands Nature Reserve

10:15

Paul Philips, Hull University

Disentangling the impacts of drought and water-resource management on riverine fishes

10:35

Holly Radcliffe and Claire Barrett-Mold, Environment Agency

Natural Flood Management in the Upper Aire Catchment

10.55

Panel Q&A

11.05 Break

Session 5. Resilient Angling

Session Chair: Lauren Vickers, AECOM

11:35

Andrew Wedgbury, University of Worcester

Casting Further: Promoting angling to a wider audience through social media.

11:55

Adrian Pinder, Bournemouth University

Effect of seasonal water temperature on the post release performance of angled European grayling: implications for fishery management and species conservation

12.15

Tommy McDermott, Trex Ecology

Recovering recreational fisheries – A Scottish Perspective

12.35

Panel Q&A

13.00 – 17.45 Field Trips (packed lunch provided)

Trip 1. Skerne Wetlands and West Beck. Trip 2. Alkborough Flats – Flood Alleviation Scheme Trip 3. Hull History Walking Tour

19.30 IFM Annual Conference Dinner To be held in the very fishy surroundings of The Deep

Aquarium

Thursday October 18th 9.15 – 15.40

Session 6. Resilient Fisheries 2

Session Chair: Godfrey Williams.

09:15

Tim Smith, North East IFCA

Developing resilient inshore marine shellfisheries in North East England

09:35

Ryan Hupfield, American Fisheries Society

Natal Origin and Movement Patterns of Paddlefish within the Mississippi River Basin

09.55

Amy Pryor and Steve Colclough. Thames Estuary Partnership and SC2

Estuary Edges 2018

10:15

Mike Roach, SEMS

Interactions of static gear fisheries and offshore Windfarms on the Yorkshire coast

10:35

John Ellis, Canal and River Trust

The fall and rise of freshwater angling participation in England & Wales

10.55

Panel Q&A

11.05

Break

Session 7. Mitigation and Recovery

Session Chair: Iain Turner, IFM

11:35

Shaun Plenty, WSP

A review of post-pollution fish mortality assessment methods and remediation strategies - How appropriate are they?

11:55

Alex Scorey, APEM

Application of probabilistic encounter and injury modelling techniques to predicting the impact of anthropogenic activities upon fisheries

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12:15

Jamie Dodd, Hull University

Determining fish passage solution success for river-resident brown trout; the importance of ‘before’ data and understating the influence of flow, fish size and translocation.

12:35

Nicola Teague, APEM Ltd

Contextualising impacts on fish at the population and stock level to aid permitting decisions

12:55

Philip Smith, University of Hertfordshire

How resilient are canal fisheries to invasive species: a consideration of the ecological, legal, financial and practical aspects with special reference to the Zander, an introduced piscivorous fish

13.15

Panel Q&A

13.25

Lunch

Session 8. Future Proofing Fisheries

Session Chair: David Bunt. IFM

14:20

Peter Davies, Bournemouth University

Unlocking the Severn: past, present and future of the twaite shad (Alosa fallax) migration in the River Severn catchment

14:40

Richard Barnes, Hull University. School of Law and Politics

Fisheries post-Brexit – Progress and prospects

15:00

Adam Brown, Substance

The Future of Fisheries – What Can Angling Do?: Developing a New National Angling Strategy

15:20

Martin Van Nieuwenhuyzen, Aquatic Control Engineering

An Archimedean revolution on the Isle of Sheppey

15.40

Panel Q&A

15.50

David Bunt, IFM

Closing Comments from the Institute

CONFERENCE CLOSE

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Abstracts

Tuesday October 16th Opening Session The John Gregory Lecture Fish, space, and river reconnection Martyn Lucas University of Durham E-mail address of the corresponding author: m.c.lucas@durham.ac.uk No, this presentation is not about fish on the International Space Station, but the space-use requirements of fish for life history completion and long-term persistence of natural populations. Freshwater (including diadromous) fishes need to disperse between habitat patches and many species exhibit clear migrations seasonally, or at particular life history stages. Fragmentation of river habitats has contributed to biodiversity decline in European rivers, including in the UK, in recent centuries, but concerted efforts are being made to reverse this. Physical connectivity in rivers enables functional hydrological, geomorphological, chemical and ecological processes. For biota, barriers inhibit movements of migratory species and limit local dispersal of other species between habitat fragments, often causing population decline or preventing recovery. The number and distribution of river barriers (dams, weirs, culverts, bed movement checks etc) across Europe is poorly known and is being addressed by the EU AMBER (Adaptive Management of Barriers in European Rivers) project. Only a few countries have good national databases and there is little Europe-wide standardisation currently. It is likely that may be an average of in the order of one artificial barrier per stream kilometre across Europe, but the vast majority of these are small (< 1 m high). Although most are small, the high number has a cumulative impact on connectivity and habitat modification that may, in many catchments, exceed that of a few large dams. Among the mobile biota impacted by barriers are fishes, not only those that migrate widely (e.g. salmon, eel, barbel), but also smaller-bodied, weakly-dispersing species that are key elements of river food webs. Many European urban streams, formerly too polluted for fish, are now clean enough to sustain fish communities, but upstream

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colonisation of these waterbodies is often prevented by artificial barriers and traditional fishways (especially, but only, those for salmonids) do not work for most weakly-dispersing species (e.g. minnow, loach, stickleback, bullhead, gudgeon). There needs to be a complete re-think of the fishway or fish pass paradigm for enabling fish migration, to one that facilitates highly effective dispersal of the natural fish community, including species that are ecologically important, but have low fisheries importance. Impacts on downstream migration and dispersal, including salmonid smolt migration at simple, overflowing weirs are also, too often ignored (there is an incorrect assumption that such structures have no impact on fitness of downstream-migrating fishes) even though they can strongly impact survival during low flows in spring, which are likely to become more common with climate change. Physical removal of weirs and other barriers can enable uninhibited movement by a wide range of biota, and restoration of sediment transport, as well as removing impounded habitat that is a major problem in low-gradient, cool-water streams. An increasing number of studies are showing the strong ecological benefits to be achieved by the removal of many redundant barriers (are these redundant, ecologically damaging hangovers from the Industrial Revolution or historical assets that are familiar and of cultural value to people?), yet in Britain the removal of such barriers is fraught with complexity. While actual removal can be relatively cheap, in the UK, the cost in time and multiple evaluations of potential impacts tends to mean “mitigations” are more often favoured, even though a substantial number of the low-cost “easements” carried out by EA-Rivers Trust-wider stakeholder alliances may be of questionable ecological value. The often-trotted out phrase by the Environment Agency (and its equivalents elsewhere in the UK), rivers trusts (yes, and I am a trustee in two of these), DEFRA and the like that “Easement X has opened up Y km of stream for migration by all fish species present” is, in a very large number of cases, absolute tosh and an embarrassment to the science of river restoration, even if it is a conveniently ascribed “outcome measure” of such easements. There is no excuse for sloppy science and sloppy statements. In the UK, connectivity restoration funding opportunities are also often constrained by the EA’s (and several equivalent agencies) “Computer says No” outcome of the distribution of WFD ecological quality (especially Fish) monitoring sites and recorded ecological quality, with regard to barrier distribution. Well designed and constructed nature-like bypasses can reinstitute valuable habitat heterogeneity and connectivity, as well as biota movement. Although they might not always attract salmonid migrants efficiently due to the (sometimes) limited fraction of river flow within the bypass, they are much better for facilitating bidirectional dispersal of a wide range of species and sizes of fish, as well as other aquatic biota. Although a variety of hard-engineered fishway solutions exist, better evaluation of their performance for non-salmonid species of varying sizes is needed for improved cost-benefit appraisal. This needs to include effectiveness for assisting dispersal and recolonization of small fishes such as loach, minnow and bullhead. It is also, simply unacceptable, to “sign off” novel way fish passage designs that ‘look good on paper/CAD’ and seem to have a rational basis of design, without field testing these at the types of barriers they are intended to provide passage at – so-called tiled lamprey/eel channels or composite Larinier-eel-lamprey passes are a good example of these untested fish passage structures (even though we know Lariniers work appallingly for river lamprey). In determining the right approach to optimizing improved connectivity alongside flood defence, navigation, hydropower and other

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needs such as invasive species control within a catchment, the Adaptive Management framework offers strong potential and is recommended. Session 1. Resilient Fisheries 1 Recovery and restoration of salmon stocks in the rivers of north east England Stephen Axford Institute of Fisheries Management E-mail address of the corresponding author: steveaxford@madasafish.com Study of the patterns of reduction in salmon stocks and subsequent recovery or otherwise of these stocks can provide valuable clues as to suitable restoration strategies. Salmon stocks in some rivers, such as the Don, had been extinguished by the end of the 18th century largely by physical obstructions; obstruction by chemical conditions came later. Although detailed data on effluents and water chemistry are not available in relation to the decline of salmon, the causes can be inferred. Thus in the Tyne, there was rapid decline of catches in the 1930s, probably attributable to effluents from water-based sanitation and industry around the estuary. The opening of an ammonia plant in 1941 seems to have almost eliminated the stock of salmon. In the Ouse, large catches of salmon were taken by seine net, click net and rods in the 1930s, but these catches were made at sites away from the main towns and industrial areas. Several different industrial plants producing effluents with high oxygen demand were established around Selby in the 1940s and 1950s and again largely eliminated the stock of salmon. Many of the salmon stocks in the larger rivers of the northeast of England were in dire straits during the middle of the 20th century. Despite this, catches in the net fisheries off the NE coast continued to be large. Tagging studies showed that many of these fish had been heading for Scottish rivers, but they no doubt strayed into the rivers of north east England on occasion, so forming a source of broodstock once conditions improved. If the main causes of problems are removed, then these rivers should recover quite adequately by themselves, given the potential input of strays. For example, overfishing by seine nets in the river was considered as one of the possible causes of decline in salmon stocks in the River Ure, but a ban on netting saw no improvement. So other problems had to be tackled. Some of these problems are very difficult and expensive to investigate, let alone overcome, so for the last 150 years or more there has been a clamour for the stocking of hatchery-reared fish. However, in recent years research has shown that most long-term stocking of hatchery-reared fish has not done much good, can be harmful in biological terms and diverts resources from solving the real problems. The Salmon Five Point Approach for restoring salmon in England is a strategy for tackling the five main issues affecting salmon stocks in England by actions to:

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Improve marine survival; further reduce exploitation by nets and rods; remove barriers to migration (up and down) and enhance habitat; safeguard sufficient flows; and maximise spawning success and juvenile survival by improving water quality. Stocking is not regarded as having a significant role in restoring salmon stocks. Recovery of salmon stocks in the Tyne, Tees and Ure/Ouse is largely linked to removal of pollution in the estuaries of these rivers. Recovery of the Tyne started in the mid1960s, associated with the closure of the ammonia plant, but accelerated with closure of the final coke oven and improvements to sewerage systems in the 1980s. Recovery of the Tees started after the completion of the sewerage changes and Tees Barrage in the mid1990s, but has not been as great as might have been hoped, perhaps as a result of fish passage problems at the Barrage. Salmon catches from the Ure/Ouse increased slightly after 2002, but accelerated in 2011 and are still increasing. The initial increases were associated with closure of some industry in Selby, but appraisal of the remaining industrial discharges led to implementation of improved treatments that were realised in 2010/2011. It has been suggested by a number of people that the recovery of the salmon stock in the Tyne was a result of the stocking operations of Kielder Hatchery. I consider that this idea was debunked by my former colleagues in their paper, ‘The role of stocking in recovery of the River Tyne salmon fisheries’. However, stocking can have a role in identifying problems and assessing the success of remedies applied. In 1965, the Yorkshire Ouse and Hull River Authority, a predecessor of the Environment Agency started a salmon rehabilitation scheme for the River Ure. The scheme relied upon stocking the catchment with salmon fry, with an average of 160,000 fry stocked annually. Stocking ceased in 1975 in order to allow recovery to be assessed. During the scheme, in order to assist with the recovery of stocks, smolts were trapped at Mickley on the River Ure, tagged and transported to Brough on the Humber so as to avoid an area of poor water quality in the tidal Ouse. The scheme produced some returning salmon to the River Ure, although many strayed and most died before getting to the Ure. Only 4 fish were recaptured by rod anglers in the Ouse system, while 20 fish were found dead, mostly in the tidal Ouse. This scheme illustrated some of the drawbacks of stocking and the need to tackle the poor water quality in the tidal Ouse. It is not enough just to get some salmon back in the river. This may be good for identifying problems and may satisfy the desires of some fishery owners, but I believe that successful restoration means the creation of wild, self-sustaining stocks that are resilient enough to support a harvestable fishery. All animal (and plant) populations adopt their various life history strategies to try to ensure that there are plenty of parents to produce the next generation. The numbers surviving obviously depend on mortality rates as well as the numbers produced in the first place. If mortality rates are high and determined by factors that you cannot control, then you are best to produce lots of young. In comparison with many fish, salmon take some care to reduce juvenile mortality rates by laying large eggs in freshwater, protecting them in redds and having behaviour that sees the juveniles spread out in territories at a suitable population density to ensure survival. They then need to go to sea to find sufficient food to grow to a large size to produce sufficient large eggs and also avoid predators.

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Our Rivers Recovery & Renewal: Reconnecting Yorkshire’s Rivers Martin Slater, Neil Trudgilll and Jerome Masters Environment Agency, Lateral, 8 City Walk, Leeds, LS11 9AT. E-mail address of the corresponding author: martin.slater@environment-agency.gov.uk Historically, the rivers of the Humber catchment fed the economics of the region providing power and transport for industry, and a means of waste disposal. Prior to the industrial revolution Yorkshire’s rivers were productive ecosystems but by the beginning of the twentieth century many were little more than open sewers. Since the 1970s, legislation has driven improvements in sewage treatment and water quality. Water quality improvements and regulation by the NRA and EA, followed by re-stocking led to dramatic increases in fish populations. Yorkshire’s many weirs continued to restrict longitudinal migrations of potamodromous fish and prevented entry by diadromous species. In the 2000s, the Environment Agency and partners began restoring fish passage to promote the recovery of resilient, self-sustaining fish populations. In the 2010s, strategic development of ‘fish highways’ began; chains of fish passes linking tidal waters to trout zones. Public engagement plays a prominent role as only increased appreciation of our rivers will ensure the long-term security of their recovery. Significant progress has been made by working in partnership, pooling skills, enthusiasm and effort. Increasing reports of diadromous species, together with fish counter data and survey results provide evidence of improving connectivity. Recent explosion of pink salmon in European waters - what is responsible: invasion or climate extremes Ian G. Cowx1, Gordon Copp2 & Colin Bean3

1-University of Hull International Fisheries Institute, Hull UK 2-Cefas, Lowestoft, UK 3-Scottish Natural Heritage, Glasgow, UK E-mail address of the corresponding author: i.g.cowx@hull.ac.uk

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Pink salmon were first introduced into Europe into rivers affluent to the White and Barents Seas in the 1950s to create a local stock for exploitation. The species is now more widespread, and stocks have now established in Norwegian rivers from Ob to Finmark, but straying further south; records from southern Norway and south-eastern Sweden may have been strays from stocking in Bay of Riga. Migrants have also been found in Western Europe, including Germany, France, Ireland and UK. Until 2017 the number of strays has been only the occasional fish, but in 2017 the number reported exploded into the hundreds. The reasons for this explosion in pink salmon in European waters is examined and whether it was linked to climate events or systematic invasion is explored. A trans-Atlantic perspective of lobster (Homarus) fishing, management and trade Magnus Johnson University of Hull E-mail address of the corresponding author: M.Johnson@hull.ac.uk Declining resilience in fisheries: what happens when inland fisheries are lost? Rachel Ainsworth, Ian G Cowx, D.T. Beard, A. Lynch Hull International Fisheries Institute, University of Hull. USGS, National Climate Adaptation Centre, USGS, Washington, USA E-mail address of the corresponding author: r.f.ainsworth@2012.hull.ac.uk The contribution of inland fisheries to livelihoods and food security of the poor and rural communities in the developing world is substantial (Bartley et al., 2015). For much of the developing world, inland fisheries provide an affordable or the only source of accessible animal protein and essential nutrients (So-Jung et al., 2014). Inland fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries, help address UN Sustainable Development Goals. For example, the sector can help people stay out of, or not fall further into poverty by providing a minimum standard of living through open access to fishery resources (Lynch et al., 2016). Inland fisheries also offer resilience to cope with environmental and socioeconomic shocks should primary incomes fail (Welcomme et al., 2010). Sustainably harvested or farmed fish can be considered ‘green food’ or a more environmentally friendly way of sourcing food, as few environmental costs are involved (Lynch et al., 2016). The importance of inland fisheries is largely overlooked; information on the economic contribution of inland capture fisheries is limited, and support of inland fisheries is near non-existent, and water exploitation sectors with perceived higher economic outputs are prioritised over fisheries (Bartley et al., 2015). Anthropogenic stressors such as, dam construction, water pollution, habitat loss and invasive species threaten inland fisheries. Multiple stressors can act on ecosystems, for instance, overfishing itself may not be the only threat to a fishery, but once an

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ecosystem experiences intense fishing pressure, its resilience is reduced, and it is very difficult for the fish assemblage to recover (Allan et al., 2005). But, some of the problems that face inland fisheries are self-generated, such as a lack of reliable catch data, overfishing and weak management. Due to the dispersed nature of inland fisheries, it is difficult to get accurate catch information, which is one of the most significant issues contributing to the low status of inland fisheries (Lynch et al., 2017). When inland fish catch data were reconstructed from river basin fish data and missing country data, total global inland fish catch was estimated 40% higher than official FAO data (Ainsworth et al., in prep) (See Figure 1). Inland fisheries provide important ecosystem services. Inland fisheries are undergoing dramatic changes, without gaining a baseline indication of the catch status and ecosystem services that the aquatic ecosystem provides would be detrimental to the future preservation of inland fisheries. The use of non- monetary valuation will inform how the loss of inland fisheries will affect food security, and the environmental impact of alternative food production systems. Being a natural resource, the environmental footprint of inland fisheries production is considerable lower than agricultural production systems. Replacing global inland fish production (11.4 million tonnes in 2015 according to FAO) with other forms of protein would use more water and land area. For example, replacing inland fisheries with beef would require 197.0 km3 of water (equal to a 7% increase in global agricultural water use), which is considerably higher than crops (44.0 km3) or aquaculture (37.6 km3). Land conversion to accommodate food expansion would be highest for aquaculture (0.8 million km2), as production efficiencies are low in many regions, likewise beef replacement would require 0.6 million km2 and crops 0.03 million km2. Replacement of the energy content of inland fish would require an increase in nutrient poor crop production of 14.3 million tonnes; and aquaculture by 6.8 million tonnes. Considering FAO figures are underestimated by as much as 65%, these equivalent replacement estimates represent only a proportion of their real values. Replacement of inland fisheries at a regional and basin level will have a more localised impact. For instance, replacement of fish catch from the African Great Lakes (1.1 million tonnes) would

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require 1.2 times the regional agricultural water use to replace fish with beef. In addition, in South- East Asia, replacement of fish catch (2.5 million tonnes) would require 1.4 times the regional pastureland area to replace fish with beef. Figure 1: Fish catch from 45 river basins (blue scale) and fish catch by country according to FAO 2015 data (grey scale). Note: Lakes are incorporated into their river basins.

Because the developing world is generally less resilient to changes because of lack of assets, the loss of inland fisheries would force fishers to transition into other livelihoods, which requires access to land and capital that is not accessible to the rural poor sector to which many fishing communities belong. Also, any dietary change that reduces the quantity and quality of fish being consumed could lead to micronutrient deficiencies (Kawarazuka and Béné, 2010). Alternative food production would likely lead to increased food prices, which reduces the accessibility of protein to poorer consumers and increased food insecurity. The full value of inland fisheries will never by fully realised without improved estimates and reporting of inland fish catch. The range of assessment tools to evaluate inland fisheries should be expanded (Cooke et al., 2016). The replacement model could be used to inform water management and food security policies, and to evaluate the benefits of any development projects with the negative trade- offs of fish replacement and shifts in food security. Cooperation and compromise between competing water users is essential to ensure the future of inland fisheries both at the local and global scales. References

Ainsworth & Cowx (2018) Validation of FAO inland fisheries catch statistics and replacement of fish with equivalent protein sources. FAO Circular xx. Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations.

Allan, J. D., Abell, R., Hogan, Z., Revenga, C., Taylor, B. W., Welcomme, R. L., & Winemiller, K., (2005). Overfishing of Inland Waters. Bioscience, 55, 1041- 1051.

Bartley, D.M., De Graaf, G.J., Valbo-Jørgensen, J., & Marmulla, G. (2015). Inland capture fisheries: status and data issues. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 22, 71–77. Cooke, S.J., Arthington, A.H., Bonar, S.A., Bower, S.D., Bunnell, D.B., Entsua-Mensah, R.E., Funge- Smith, S., Koehn, J.D., Lester, N.P., Lorenzen, K., & Nam, S., (2016). Assessment of inland fisheries: a vision for the future. In Freshwater, fish, and the future: proceedings of the global cross-sectoral conference. American Fisheries Society Press, Bethesda (pp. 45-62).

Kawarazuka, N., & Béné, C., (2010). Linking small- scale fisheries and aquaculture to household nutritional security: an overview. Food Security, 2, 343- 357.

Lynch, A. J., Cooke, S. J., Deines, A. M., Bower, S. D., Bunnell, D. B., Cowx, I.G., & Beard, Jr., D.T., (2016). The social, economic, and environmental importance of inland fishes and fisheries. Environmental Reviews, 7, 1–7.

Lynch, A. J., Cowx, I. G., Fluet-Chouinard, E., Glaser, S. M., Phang, S. C., Beard, T. D., Bower, S.D., Brooks, J.L., Bunnell, D.B., Claussen, J, E., Cooke, S.j., Kao, Y-C.,

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Lorenzen, K., Myers, B.J.E., Reid, A.J., Taylor, J.J., & Youn, S., (2017). Inland fisheries – Invisible but integral to the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for ending poverty by 2030. Global Environmental Change, 47, 167–173.

So-Jung, Y., Taylor, W. W., Lynch, A. J., Cowx, I. G., Douglas Beard, T., Bartley, D., & Wu, F., (2014). Inland capture fishery contributions to global food security and threats to their future. Global Food Security, 3, 142–148. Welcomme, R.L., Cowx, I.G., Coates, D., Béné, C., Funge-Smith, S., Halls, A., & Lorenzen, K., (2010). Inland capture fisheries. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biolgical Sciences, 365, 2881–2896. Session 2. Resilient Environments Creating sustainable homes – a need for long lasting habitat improvements for eels Peter Walker RSK Environment Ltd, UK E-mail address of the corresponding author: pwalker@rsk.co.uk Following the catastrophic decline in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) numbers throughout their natural range there have been various efforts to try and improve adult (silver eel) escapement from European waters in the hope that this will result in increased numbers of returning glass eels and elvers. Much of this effort has focussed on measures to improve access to freshwater systems for eels including dedicated eel passes and screens on abstraction facilities to prevent the entrainment of young eels. Other measures have included restrictions on commercial exploitation of eels and screens to prevent the entrainment of downstream migrating silver eels. Relatively little focus has been applied to habitat enhancements or creation with eels as a focal species. This may in part be due to a general perception that eels are opportunistic, habitat generalists. Whilst eels have been found in a very wide array of freshwater, estuarine and coastal habitats, recent investigations undertaken by RSK have indicated that eels may in fact exhibit habitat preferences and such preferences are likely to be linked to habitat requirements for this species (e.g. the need for suitable refuges and access to good quality foraging). Furthermore, habitat preferences appear to differ between different sized eels. In light of these findings it is proposed that aquatic habitat enhancement and creation projects should include specific elements which will benefit eels. In this paper we present a range of options, some of which are relatively low cost, that could be incorporated into aquatic habitat project designs. We also discuss the importance of monitoring.

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SHOAL. An innovation to help solve the Freshwater species crisis Kathy Hughes WWF, UK E-mail address of the corresponding author: KHughes@wwf.org.uk There is a freshwater species crisis and the response as yet is insufficient to relieve it. An opportunity exists to engage a powerful broad set of stakeholders in the global effort to halt the crisis. A number of founding organisations from nature conservation and from business have created a new partnership, entitled Shoal, to establish a platform for action for endangered freshwater species. Freshwater ecosystems are of huge importance for all life on earth, surprisingly they cover less than one per cent of the Earth’s surface; yet they are home to at an estimated 10% of all plants and animals, including 35% of known vertebrates. In sum, they are a hotspot for biodiversity. However, freshwater environments are also at the epicentre of the extinction crisis. Since 1970 there has been an 81% decline in the abundance of freshwater life (WWF 2016); one in three freshwater species (and 32% of freshwater fish) are now assessed to be at risk of extinction (IUCN Red List 2017). Despite facing such immense threats, freshwater biodiversity remains an afterthought for many conservation organisations and decision makers. The importance of freshwater for people for drinking water, sanitation, transport and, increasingly, energy have dominated the agenda. We are starting to recognise the value of freshwater ecosystems beyond fulfilling our needs; important work is now being done around changing policies and helping to address the large-scale drivers of freshwater ecosystem degradation and loss (such as large-scale dams, pollution and over-abstraction). Yet conservation action focussed on freshwater species is particularly lacking and without much greater concerted efforts, many will go extinct. At present, there are few sources of significant funding that can be sourced and targeted directly for fishes and other neglected freshwater species conservation. Paradoxically, there is one potential significant source of support that has not yet been fully considered or initiated. Everyday millions of aquarists and anglers and the business supporting these hobbyists together with inland fisheries engage in a global multi-billion-dollar industry. Traditional conservation has yet to effectively engage this important set of stakeholders in freshwater species conservation. Shoal will provide the opportunity for these stakeholders to take action together. What is happening to freshwater species? Freshwater covers just 0.8% of Earth’s surface yet is home to 10% of all known species (Strayer and Dudgeon 2010). However, these ecosystems are not only a hotspot for biodiversity, but also for endangerment – between 1970 and 2012 the abundance of freshwater species fell by an alarming 81% (WWF, 2016). Until recently, wetland habitats were viewed as wastelands and in many cases, were drained with

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little thought to their conservation and protection. Since 1900 between 64%-71% of all wetlands have been lost (Davidson 2014). Of the fish species comprehensively assessed for the IUCN Red List of threatened species, approximately one third are under immediate threat of extinction (IUCN, 2017). According to the IUCN Red List of all Critically Endangered species, 26% inhabit freshwater ecosystems. In fact, in no other biome is a sixth global mass extinction event more evident - with an extinction rate four to six times higher in freshwater than in marine or terrestrial ecosystems, it is already a sad inevitability that many freshwater species will be lost before ever being discovered (Doyle, 2009). Without concerted action the prospects for many freshwater species are grave. The drivers of decline for freshwater biodiversity are of course complex and varied, but are intimately and intricately tied to the human engineering of freshwater environments and include: damming and fragmentation, overexploitation, water abstraction, habitat change and degradation, pollution and invasive species. Given the scale and pace of biodiversity loss in these ecosystems, one might expect a highly developed global conservation response to these threats. However, the world’s freshwater ecosystems are under-inventorised and their protection receives a disproportionately low level of funding and attention. Over the past decade there has been a greater recognition of the role of freshwater environments and most responses have been rightly focused on achieving policy change and addressing the challenges to freshwater ecosystems at the systemic level. However, at the site or species-specific scale, there has been a dearth of conservation action. This is particularly problematic for freshwater species given that many freshwater environments are insular, which has led to the evolution of species with small geographic ranges, often confined to a single lake or drainage basin (i.e. endemic species) (Dudgeon & Strayer, 2010). Without targeted action, many species will simply be lost forever. Whilst some taxonomic groups such as waterbirds, river dolphins, crocodiles, turtles and salmonids have received more conservation attention, for the majority of freshwater species there have been very few targeted interventions. Within the funding community there is also an absence of focus on freshwater species conservation. Freshwater conservation receives just 3.2% of grant funding from European environmental foundations (Cracknell et al., 2016) and an analysis by Synchronicity Earth of more than US$ 450 million of freshwater conservation funding from 2012-2015 (a small amount given the scale of the problem) showed that only 6.60% went towards projects which specifically targeted the conservation of one or a subset of freshwater species. The SHOAL partnership The support for freshwater conservation amongst non-traditional conservation supporters and business is potentially higher than most other components of biodiversity. For example 2,500 species of ornamental fish (60% of which are of

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freshwater origin) are traded in 125 countries at a retail value of more than $10 billion (Dey 2016). In the UK alone fish-keepers spend over £400 million per year, and the keeping of home aquariums is a truly global hobby. Visiting public aquaria is also a growing in popularity as a pastime, and already provides significant levels of conservation funding and action, yet harbours further potential, particularly for freshwater species. Meanwhile there are an estimated 50 million recreational anglers in the US (Statista 2017) - second only to running and jogging as the most popular outdoor recreational activity. These anglers, like owners of home aquaria, hold the potential not just to generate revenue to support conservation projects, but to go out and be local conservation champions for freshwater species. Commercial inland fisheries are also already significantly involved with river and fish conservation and this has been very often beneficial for commercial fish species. However, the wider benefits of this approach have largely not supported most threatened fish species or other freshwater species at risk of extinction. Shoal will provide the platform for this partnership to increase support and take action together for threatened freshwater species by improving and increasing research and planning, direct support to critical action on the ground, creating and building awareness of the freshwater species crises and strengthening the capacity of partners to take action.

References: Cracknell J, Vrana M, Mason M, 2016, Environmental Funding by European Foundations, Vol.3, European Foundation Centre Davidson N.C. 2014. How much wetland has the world lost? Long-term and recent trends in global wetland area. Marine and Freshwater Research 65, 934-941. Dey VK, 2016, The Global Trade in Ornamental Fish, InfoFish International, Vol.4 , 2016 Doyle A, 2009, Freshwater creatures and plants are most threatened species on Earth, Accessed 04.11.16 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/oct/11/freshwater-species-under-threat Dudgeon D, 2012, Threats to freshwater biodiversity globally and in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, in: Allen D.J, Smith K.G, Darwall W.R.T, The Status and Distribution of freshwater biodiversity in Indo-Burma, IUCN, Cambridge IUCN, 2017, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Accessed 31.018, Version 2017-2, http://www.iucnredlist.org Statista, 2017, Recreational Fishing – Statistics and Facts, Accessed 06.02.18, https://www.statista.com/topics/1163/recreational-fishing/

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Strayer D.L and Dudgeon D, 2010, Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation: Recent Progress and Future Challenges, Freshwater Science, Vol.29, pp.344-358 WWF. 2016. Living Planet Report 2016. Risk and resilience in a new era. WWF International, Gland, Switzerland Yorkshire Water Flow Adaptive Management Mark Tinsdeall Yorkshire Water E-mail address of the corresponding author: mark.tinsdeall@yorkshirewater.co.uk The Sustainable Eel Group – Creating Resilient Eel Fisheries David Bunt Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) E-mail address of the corresponding author: davidbuntseg@gmail.com During 2019 The Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) will celebrate 10 years since its conception and foundation. The story starts at the first IFM / EA Eel conference at Bridgwater in April 2009. SEG’s first meeting was at Fishmongers Hall in November 2009 and the not for profit Ltd Company was formed in early 2010.

The SEG story is an interesting one for all those trying to make a difference for fish. The eel with its unique and remarkable life cycle, its panmictic nature impacting on so many countries, its endangered status, its commercial value including trafficking and all the political consequences makes an extraordinary case study.

Andrew will recall the journey thus far highlighting some of the key challenges, events, people and solutions to take the eel’s status from perilous and endangered to sustainable and resilient. The SEG Standard and the ISEAL process will be emphasised.

SEG wants to introduce the concept of a major eel gathering in 2019 at this IFM Conference ‘Creating Resilient Fisheries’. Andrew will announce the plan to focus the event on eel art and culture it will take place in London, midsummer 2019, and seek to draw together and celebrate the wide range of traditions that surround Anguilla anguilla. One event is already planned and that is to sail an historic eel barge from the Netherlands to London and so recall how Dutch eel fed the Londoners after the Great Fire of 1666. The message both to this conference and the 2019 celebration will be to emphasise the importance of collaboration in finding answers. No where more so than in countering trafficking.

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Andrew is hoping to have the latest information on trafficking and is expecting to state that the trade in Anguilla anguilla is the world’s largest wildlife crime at some 2 billion Euros compared to Ivory; half a billion. Session 3. Habitat Management for Fish Managed realignment for habitat compensation: use of a new intertidal habitat by fishes

Andy D. Nunn1, Darryl Clifton-Dey2 & Ian G. Cowx1

1Hull International Fisheries Institute, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.

2Environment Agency, Kings Meadow House, Kings Meadow Road, Reading, RG1 8DQ, UK.

E-mail address of the corresponding author: A.D.Nunn@hull.ac.uk

Managed realignment has become an increasingly common mechanism to increase the efficiency and sustainability of flood defences, reduce defence costs or compensate for habitat losses. This study investigated the use by fishes of a new intertidal habitat, created by managed realignment, intended to compensate for the loss of mudflat associated with a major port development. Although broadly similar, statistically significant differences in fish species composition, abundance, biomass, size structure, diversity and diet composition indicate that the managed realignment is not yet functioning in an identical manner to the mudflat in the adjacent estuary, most likely due to differences in habitat between sites. Notwithstanding, similarity in the species composition of fyke catches in the managed realignment and estuary increased annually during the 5-year study period, suggesting that the mudflat in the realignment is still developing. Indeed, the site will inevitably change over time with accretion, establishment of vegetation and possibly development of creeks. This will not necessarily prevent the aim of the realignment scheme being achieved, as long as sufficient suitable mudflat remains.

Is current floodplain management a cause for concern for fish and bird conservation in Bangladesh’s largest wetland? Shams M. Galib1,2, Martyn C. Lucas1, Nipa Chaki3, Foyzul H. Fahad2, A.B.M. Mohsin2

1 Department of Biosciences, University of Durham, Durham, UK 2 Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

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3 Department of Geography and Planning, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia E-mail address of the corresponding author: shams.m.galib@durham.ac.uk Worldwide, water regulatory structures have impacts on aquatic ecological connectivity. This study determined the effects of current sluice management on the fish community in the Baral River, a major connection to the largest wetland (Chalan Beel) in Bangladesh. It also examines wider problems for biodiversity conservation (particularly waterbirds) in that wetland, which has shrunk to 30% of its former dry-season size in 50 years. During the flood period, the peak breeding time for native floodplain fishes, sluices were in undershot operation (open by 16–60% of water depth). During this time, fish abundance and species richness were 229% and 155% higher respectively at sites upstream of the sluices, despite similar habitat upstream and downstream. Outside this period, when sluices were fully open, abundance and species richness were similar upstream and downstream. Fish samples were dominated by fry, which are susceptible to damage by sluices. Twenty (41.7%) of 48 fish species captured in this study are classed as threatened in Bangladesh and their abundance was significantly lower downstream of the sluices. Two alien species, Aristichthys nobilis and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, were recorded, probably escapees from local aquaculture activities. Twenty-five species of wetland birds were recorded in the Chalan Beel. From interviews, 64% of these species appear to have decreased in the last 20 years, together with 11 more species that may have become locally extinct over this period. This suggests that widespread ecological disruption is occurring. Improved water management (e.g. gate opening height and duration) or modification (e.g. fish pass) of the Baral sluices is needed, to meet biodiversity and fisheries needs, rather than just for flood control and crop production. Improved hydrological and ecological connectivity and habitat protection are needed, as are a cessation of destructive fishing and seasonal fish ranching practices that currently provide synergistic pressures. Primarily aspects on Saudi freshwater fish resilience Ibrahim G. Alharthi, Ian G Cowx and Jon Harvey Hull International Fisheries Institute, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK E-mail address of the corresponding author: I.G.Alharthi@2014.hull.ac.uk Saudi Arabia does not have any permanent rivers, but it does have Wadis, which are dried river beds. Eight indigenous freshwater species inhabit Saudi Arabian fresh waters but several other alien fish species have been introduced. These freshwater fishes face a variety of threats, in addition to extreme temperatures. For example,

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extensive pumping of water for domestic supply and agriculture, lack of rain and prolonged droughts, unmanaged recreational fishing, damming and pesticides. The resilience of Saudi Arabian fishes and their recovery after exposure to this array of threats is largely unknown. Feeding ecology, growth and reproductive aspects of the main species were examined to determine their resilience to these threats. For instance, recolonisation, especially after their habitat dried up, feeding strategies, differences of growth rate among locations and patterns of reproduction. The aim of this paper is to provide a preliminary assessment of Saudi freshwater fish resilience through ecological investigations of diet, growth and reproduction. The information will help build a conservation management plan for these species and help address the conflicts with other human activities. Eight fish species (Cyprinion mahalensis; Carasobarbus apoensis; Garra buettikeri; Carassius Carassius; Oreochromis niloticus; Poecilia latipinna; Gambusia affinis) were collected from different locations in Saudi Arabia (5 reservoirs; 2 wadis; a human-made Lake). Fish stomach contents were identified using references guides to determine relative abundance of each food taxa present. Diets of different groups of fish based on age, locations and seasons were compared. Prey-specific abundance (Amundsen et al., 1996) was used to determine feeding strategy (specialist or generalist), frequency of occurrence (high or low), and prey importance (rare or dominant), and within or between -phenotype component (niche width or contribution). Differences among ages, locations, seasons and dietary overlapping were analysed using cluster analysis. Maturity stages, size at maturity, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and fecundity and its relation to total length and weight were determined to understand the reproductive strategies. Age and growth rates were determined for each species in each location, and Von Bertalanffy growth models, length-weight relations and condition factor were calculated. The wadis examined appear to be fish refugia during dry periods, but wadis further up the catchment are more resilient than floodplain wadis because they holder water for longer. Drought refuges are essential habitats that protect organisms from the impact of drought (McNeil et al., 2013). Wadi Turbah (WT) close to the Buthrah Mountains form small separate ponds but there no connection to the river during the dry periods; they hold some fish adults. These ponds probably act as refugia until the rainy season returns enabling the fish to recolonise. The different species in Saudi Arabia are likely to have different responses at the time of flooding. According to (Bolland, 2008), fish have behavioural and morphological adaptations to avoid displacement, bodily destruction and/or death. The small ponds and streams within a wadi in the middle or edges of the floodplain, where fish were found, exhibit violent and extreme flood strikes that flush everything from tree branches, wastes, sediments and silts, and could be damaging to the fish or their eggs. Garra buettikeri uses pectoral fins as a sucking tool to fix themselves in the rocks during flood. This species was move back upstream to recolonise after flood and use mental disk and fins for fixing, but they failed because of the construction of a dam. No mortality of indigenous species was observed in the wadis or reservoirs during this study due to high temperatures; fish seems to live in deep water or be under water plants to escape the heat. Which may indicate an adaption to high temperatures. In Al-asfer Lake where the temperature reached extreme degrees (more than 38 Celsius)

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and oxygen was depleted, species like non-native tilapia were found dead, especially in water-deprived areas. Diet of the fish species depended on location and season, presumably linked food availability> Most species has a generalist feeding strategy that would be less influenced by prey availability and some species change their diet when food is plentiful. Differences in growth rate was found between sites. Slow growth was found in some dams that were not considered suitable for some species that prefer running water. Endemic species like Carasobarbus apoensis, Cyprinion mahalensis, Garra buettikeri seems to have two patterns of reproduction. Carasobarbus apoensis, Cyprinion mahalensis spawned in spring, in the rainy seasons. Mature Cyprinion mahalensis were found mostly in wadis or the tail of reservoir where running shallow water found. Large adults of Carasobarbus apoensis were found mostly in stagnant waters with dense aquatic plants, in reservoir bays or in the deeper parts of wadi ponds. Those two species seems to be a total spawner, but some individuals spawned at different times; this need further research. Garra buettikeri is as a batch spawner, spawning throughout the year. This pattern of reproduction helps this species recruit easily. In Al-asfer Lake, Oreochromis niloticus as a mouth brooders species, is an active spawner throughout the year; there is plenty of food in this human-made lake because of inputs of agricultural and organic wastes and the ability of this fish to digest blue green algae. Some female tilapia were overloaded with ripe eggs are hardly swimming. Poecilia latipinna and Gambusia affinis are viviparous species with productive seasons that may extended for several months starting of the spring. Some Individuals were reproductively active from their first year. Fishes were stocked in the lake for biological control purposes, but despite the difficult conditions, these species were able to succeed producing self-sustaining populations, despite some mortality occurring as a result of high temperature, oxygen depletion, population density and stress-induced problems. References

Amundsen, P., Gabler, H. & Staldvik, F. (1996) A new approach to graphical analysis of feeding strategy from stomach contents data—modification of the Costello (1990) method. Journal of fish biology, 48 (4), 607-614.

Bolland, J. D. (2008) Factors affecting the dispersal of coarse fish. Being a thesis submitted for the degree of doctor of philosophy, (University of Hull), .

Krupp, F. (1983) Freshwater fishes of Saudi Arabia and adjacent regions of the Arabian Peninsula. Fauna of saudi arabia, 5 568-636.

McNeil, D. G., Gehrig, S. L. & Cheshire, K. J. (2013) The protection of drought refuges for native fish in the Murray-Darling Basin. Report prepared by the south australian research and development institute for the murray-darling basin authority.south australian research and development institute (aquatic sciences), adelaide,

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Habitat improvement & angler engagement on the Upper Aire, Yorkshire Jon Grey Wild Trout Trust E-mail address of the corresponding author: jgrey@wildtrout.org Wednesday October 17th Session 4. Yorkshires Rivers There’s a change in the Aire (Why Upper Aire famers are outstanding in their field)

Peter Turner Environment Agency E-mail address of the corresponding author: pete.turner@environment-agency.gov.uk The area covered by this project is not insignificant. It covers 16 WFD waterbodies with a total catchment of 356.85km2 and if added up the watercourse lengths equal 173.77km. The vast majority of the Upper Aire catchment, covering an area from Malham to Keighley, is adversely affected by the impacts of diffuse pollution which has been attributed to land management practices. The sediment entering the watercourses is having a detrimental impact on brown trout numbers to the extent that under the EU’s Water Framework Directive, 15 of the 16 water bodies in the catchment are failing, mostly due to the numbers of trout present. Since 2011 the Environment Agency has been working with the Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife Partnership, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and latterly the Wild Trout Trust on influencing and educating land owners about land management techniques which can reduce the amount of sediment getting into becks, streams and rivers.

We have also undertaken a large number of habitat improvement and creation projects, from the fencing of watercourses to reduce poaching to creating new Biodiversity Action Plan wet woodland sites. The first improvements made by the project were in Gargrave, completed in 2011. These works were done as a demonstration for what the project could deliver and the site was chosen because the issues were so acute. The land was managed by a

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landowner who was keen to support the project and this site has since been used as part of our education events because of the amazing results. Our strategy for choosing further sites was based on the fact that a small number of people own or manage a large amount of land in the area. We focused on sites which not only delivered quick wins, but which would engage these influential landowners, who had the ability to significantly magnify the impact of the project. The project has delivered – and continues to deliver – multiple benefits in addition to improving water quality, such as increased biodiversity and natural flood management. Some of the other project aims are:

• Reduce diffuse agricultural pollution, particularly sediment, with an aim to

improve the status of failing WFD elements in the Upper Aire Catchment – leading to better water quality and habitat in the watercourses. Our surveys found that spawning gravels in the Upper Aire Catchment are badly affected by sediment

• Raise awareness with landowners of the sources of diffuse pollution – we have deliberately targeted key influencers within the community in order to amplify the project’s profile and reputation

• Manage invasive non-native plants – allowing native species to re-establish and provide better habitat

• Increase the amount of wet woodland BAP habitat in the area – this will have triple benefits:

o Additional trees slow the flow of floodwater over land, and also stop sediment washing off the land into watercourses

o The tree root systems provide habitat for invertebrates and trout o Trees along the riverbanks provide shade, resulting in cooler water

Seven years on and the project is still growing, with new partners regularly joining. We hope that we have created a project which will become self-sufficient leading to an eventual end to Environment Agency financial support. Fisheries and habitat response to physical habitat restoration in the River Washburn, North Yorkshire (UK). Tim Stone, Dr Jon Harvey, Dr Jon Bolland & Prof Ian Cowx Hull International Fisheries Institute, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK E-mail address of the corresponding author: t.j.stone@2009.hull.ac.uk or tjstone@live.co.uk Impounding reservoirs have contributed to the degradation of downstream fish populations and habitat quality. WFD legislation has led to development of a suite of

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methods to mitigate the deleterious impacts that reservoirs can have on downstream rivers. Swinsty Reservoir (Yorkshire, UK) releases minimal water into the receiving River Washburn; flow relies on natural gather and/or reservoir overtopping. This has left the reaches downstream of Swinsty reservoir with low flows causing an accumulation of silts/fine sediments and a lack of habitat variability which impacted on resident brown trout populations. Due to operational constraints environmental flows cannot be reinstated from Swinsty reservoir; physical river restoration methods (rechannelling/flow deflectors/gravel replenishment) were undertaken in 2015 to mitigate deleterious impacts of the reservoir. A BACI study was used to detect any meaningful change to brown trout populations and habitat quality following river restoration works. Immediately following the habitat improvement works habitat quality for all brown trout age/size classes improved, but in Autumn 2015 a 1-in-100 year flood event damaged the majority of the restoration works. Brown trout populations in the River Washburn remain poor, but the findings are discussed in the context of ensuring resilient fisheries in heavily impacted river systems. From Brown trout to Bittern - the Skerne Wetlands Nature Reserve Jon Traill Yorkshire Wildlife Trust E-mail address of the corresponding author: jon.traill@ywt.org.uk Disentangling the impacts of drought and water-resource management on riverine fishes Paul N. Phillips, Dr Andy D. Nunn, Dr Jonathan P. Harvey, & Prof. Ian G. Cowx Hull International Fisheries Institute, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. E-mail address of the corresponding author: p.phillips@2011.hull.ac.uk Droughts can fundamentally impact the ecology and functioning of riverine ecosystems. Detecting and quantifying the impacts of drought can be problematic, however, especially in watercourses that are subjected to water-resource management practices such as ‘drought orders’. During hydrological droughts, reservoir operators typically continue to provide water to the downstream environment through compensation releases, creating potential refuge areas for stream fishes. The application of drought orders, however, can reduce the magnitude of any compensation releases or, in severe cases, completely cease the flow of water to rivers. This presentation describes how the results of fish surveys conducted at more than 250 sites in six river catchments in Yorkshire, northern England, from 2015–2017 are being used to design a robust, cost-efficient, ecologically relevant and legislatively appropriate drought monitoring programme for fish. The programme aims to disentangle the impacts of drought and drought orders

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on fish, and identify the assemblages, habitats and compensation flow schemes most sensitive to drought orders.

Natural Flood Management in the Upper Aire Catchment Holly Radcliffe and Claire Barrett-Mold,

Environment Agency

E-mail address of the corresponding author: holly.radcliffe@environment-agency.gov.uk

Background On 26 December 2015 Leeds experienced significant and widespread flooding from some of the highest river levels ever recorded. In the aftermath of the floods there was an unprecedented public and political interest in working with natural processes to reduce flood risk on a catchment scale. The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme team, led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency, were asked to develop a catchment wide approach to reducing flood risk. The EA will be leading on behalf of LCC for the proposed NFM element of this project due to the cross boundary nature of this work. The project team will be integrated and will follow a collaborative delivery approach with a variety of partners, suppliers and organisations. This included natural flood management (NFM) measures on the upper and mid stretches of the River Aire as an integral part of phase 2 of the scheme which complemented the planned traditional flood defences in Leeds.

Aspirational Programme The planned NFM programme is transformational in scale, using primarily three categories of measures to help reduce the risk of flooding, provided below. The core purpose of these measures is to provide a minimum reduction of 5% off the flood peak in Leeds:

• Woodland creation: increasing canopy across the catchment. • Land management: run off reduction via various means, including in urban

areas. • River and flood plain restoration: storage ponds and re-meandering,

amongst others A programme of NFM measures has not been delivered on this scale before, which means an adaptive learning approach to respond to findings from within the programme itself, from other partners and work underway elsewhere in the country. It is vital that the programme is evidence-led and developed with a clear focus on maximising the flood risk reduction outcomes of the interventions.

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Pilots There has been some initial funding approved for a number of pilot sites for the Leeds FAS Phase 2 NFM element of the programme ahead of the funding decision being made for the main scheme. This £850,000 NFM pilot programme forms a part of the plan to plant hundreds of thousands of trees that will support the wider NFM programme. At the moment, there are 5 pilot NFM sites currently being developed for delivery from March 2018 – Summer 2019. The sites are being selected to optimise learning opportunities across a range of NFM interventions and delivery methods to help inform any potential future NFM schemes on the River Aire The team are proposing to deliver an NFM pilot in each Local Authority area in the catchment (Craven, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Pendle, Bradford and Leeds) to begin engagement and work with communities across the catchment. These are:

• Craven & Yorkshire Dales National Park: Eshton and Flasby Beck • Pendle: Earby Beck and tribs • Bradford: Harden Moor • Leeds: Kirkstall

The pilot works provide an opportunity to establish a delivery plan for implementation when the funding is approved for the main scheme. It also enables the project team to test run the process for and learn from the delivery of a series of pilot sites. Session 5. Resilient Angling Casting Further: Promoting angling to a wider audience through social media. Andrew Wedgbury The University of Worcester

E-mail address of the corresponding author: A.Wedgbury@Worc.ac.uk, Andy@angling.guru BACKGROUND & PURPOSE. Recently, a startling downturn in fishing license sales has been reported of up to 14.7% with the number of anglers also down by 132,847 (Angling International, 2018). In the same article, representatives from the Angling industry referred to the situation as ‘very disappointing’. They point towards the hard work of the Angling Trust and other Organizations who are doing ‘all they can’ to attract new, young, anglers but with varying levels of success. There is a call for trade organizations and, more widely, anglers in general to ‘Join’ various organizations yet there is little indication of how such membership will benefit or aid in the growth of Angling in the UK. Social media is acknowledged as a valuable relationship marketing tool by several researchers (e.g. Eagleman, 2013. Williams & Chinn, 2010) and there is

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often a nod towards the potential of social media from within the angling community, but little suggestion is given as to the question of the tools which might be applied to the use of social media in the context of promoting the angling hobby in the UK within the confines of the acknowledged limitations of budget. This conceptual presentation will examine the possible limits to the approaches usually applied to promote angling. We will look at the current situation and explore the ways in which social media might be employed to reach new, untapped, audiences. To do this, we will apply the ‘Automated Alternative Text’ tool developed by Facebook in an innovative way to enable us to translate the ‘Visual Language’ of new groups. As importantly, through the lens of emerging angling techniques, we will look at what we might present to these new audiences in the light of changing attitudes towards angling. The aim of this presentation is not to give hard, unchangeable, facts or answers. It is to create a starting point in the discussion about the ways in which angling might reinvent and present itself to new audiences in a rapidly changing digital world. Furthermore, I hope to offer the potential of new tools to those charged with the future promotion of Angling. METHODOLOGY Personal correspondence and analysis of available figures are used to argue a need for further diversification within the audiences that we identify and target with social media when promoting angling as an attractive activity. We will then discuss a proposed innovative new approach to analyzing user-generated content within the Facebook platform. Sun & Bhowmick (2009) and others have highlighted the need for image tag clarity within social media and, in 2016, Facebook introduced its ‘Automated Alternative (alt) Text’ feature aimed at making social media more accessible to the visually impaired (Passary, 2016). The frequency with which these tags, which are applied according to a constant algorithm by Facebook, appear in user-generated groups enables us to analyze the visual language used by these groups on the Facebook platform. These will be compared with the current visual language used by some Angling pages to highlight the importance of ‘speaking the language’ of our target groups on Facebook and other platforms. Finally, a brief overview is given of the ways in which, having identified our new target audiences, and learnt their language, we can enable them to participate in angling through possible simplification and other means which, it is suggested, is the NEW challenge for the Angling Community.

DISCUSSION Angling is currently in decline, if we ignore the reported decline this year, we can still see a decline of more than 180,000 rod licence sales since 2010 reported officially by the Environment Agency. If we are to reverse this trend, there is a need to become innovative in our approach the marketing of the sport. Through the analysis of automatically generated (alt) text tags applied by the Facebook algorithm to images posted in user-generated groups, it is possible to see

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that various interest groups on the Facebook platform express a distinct Visual Language when interacting publicly. Furthermore, through the analysis of these same ‘alt texts’ generated on organizational pages, it is possible to show that there is a disconnect in communication between the two. If angling is to find new audiences to promote the sport to, it is vital that considerable work is done into understanding and communicating the benefits of angling to new groups and improvements are made in communicating to our existing communitys currently active online.

Finally, it has become apparent that, if we are to attract new audiences to the sport of angling, there is a need for us to enable participation, this might be through the innovation and promotion of simplified angling methods or the application of, not yet considered, techniques. This is presented as the NEW challenge for our Angling community and those charged with the promotion of the sport into the future. It is argued that, if angling is to survive into the future, there is a need for a deeper understanding and implementation of the marketing channels open to us. This should include understanding our current audience and striving to understand those who might make up the future of our sport. It is suggested that the concerns of the Angling community, sometimes, find themselves in conflict with the concerns and beliefs of the wider community who, potentially, make up the anglers (or the parents of the anglers) of the future. We should pose the question. Given the important work of various angling organisations in campaigning for various issues that are important to angling and anglers, but occasionally distasteful to other groups, is there a need for a new approach dedicated purely to the promotion of angling to wider audiences? REFERENCES Angling International (2018), Further slump in UK fishing licence sales is very disappointing says industry. Available at: http://www.angling-international.com/slump-uk-fishing-licence-sales-disappointing-says-industry/ (Accessed: 20 October 2018).

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Eagleman, A.N., (2013), Acceptance, motivations, and usage of social media as a marketing communications tool amongst employees of sport national governing bodies. Sport Management Review, 16(4), pp.488-497. Environment Agency (2016), Annual summary of rod licence sales. Available at: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/2b303513-bc81-4bef-880f-8a587db9b3a1/annual-summary-of-rod-licence-sales (Accessed: 5 Oct 2018). Facebook, (2018), How does automatic alt text work?. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/help/216219865403298?helpref=faq_content (Accessed: 01 Oct 2018). Passary, S., (2016), Facebook Introduces Automatic Alternative Text, AI-Generated Photo Caption To Help The Blind 'See'. Available at: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/147377/20160405/facebook-introduces-automatic-alternative-text-ai-generated-photo-caption-to-help-the-blind-see.htm (Accessed on: 07 Oct 2018). Sun, A. and Bhowmick, S.S., (2009), October. Image tag clarity: in search of visual-representative tags for social images. In Proceedings of the first SIGMM workshop on Social media(pp. 19-26). Williams, J. and Chinn, S.J., (2010), Meeting relationship-marketing goals through social media: A conceptual model for sport marketers. International Journal of Sport Communication, 3(4), pp.422-437. Effect of seasonal water temperature on the post release performance of angled European grayling: implications for fishery management and species conservation

Adrian C. Pinder, Andrew J. Harrison & J. Robert Britton Bournemouth University Global Environmental Solutions (BUG), Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB. E-mail address of the corresponding author: apinder@bournemouth.ac.uk The conservation benefits of Catch and Release (C&R) angling rely explicitly on the assumption that a high proportion of released fish will not only survive, but any impacts on physiological and behavioural performance will not compromise the reproductive potential of individual fish. Despite a growing body of global research communicating how angler behaviour may be adjusted and optimised to reduce injury and impairment, few studies have applied specific focus to potentially overriding abiotic variables (e.g. water temperature) which may operate independently or in combination with other stressors (e.g. fight time, air exposure etc.) to influence (C&R) outcomes.

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At the upper thermal limits of their geographic distribution, the European grayling Thymallus thymallus provides a model cold-water species representative of other freshwater fishes sensitive to climate warming impacts and subject to recreational exploitation throughout the year. C&R angling was conducted during summer (15 to 21 oC) and winter (6 to 10 oC) periods, over which time 91 grayling were captured (220 - 490 mm). Using standard indicators of post-release-mortality (PRM) risk, tertiary stress response (time to body equilibrium) and secondary stress responses (pre-release blood concentrations of lactate and glucose) were measured. Both reflex impairment and blood chemistry disruption were found to be significantly elevated in the fish caught in the higher temperature group, with air exposure duration also a highly significant predictor of PRM. These results suggest that stress responses and post-release mortality risk in cold-water fishes subjected to C&R could be reduced via temperature-informed fishery management practises and pose the question: Does the timing of existing closed seasons for cold-water species correspond with periods of peak temporal vulnerability? Recovering recreational fisheries – A Scottish Perspective Tommy McDermot1, Alison Baker2 and Joanna Girvan2

1Trex Ecology, Leader View, 36 East High Street, Lauder 2Forth Rivers Trust, 106 Biggar Road, Edinburgh E-mail address of the corresponding author: T.McDermott@trexecology.co.uk Despite the historic view of Scotland as providing wild and natural fishing for salmon and trout, many rivers were historically degraded by the growth of industry. These impacts were widespread, but most intensive around the central belt and east coast, and numerous rivers were closed to fish migration for centuries. As industry declined and water quality improved, impacts on rivers remained with redundant structures still exerting a negative influence on fish populations. This talk will explore the implications of this legacy for both the ecology and management of Scottish fisheries, and how the reopening of catchments to fish migration is resulting in changes to how rivers and their fish communities are viewed and managed. It will also look forward to the work remaining, and the challenges faced by rivers yet to be recovered. Thursday October 18th Session 6. Resilient Fisheries 2 Developing resilient inshore marine shellfisheries in North East England Tim Smith North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

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E-mail address of the corresponding author: Tim.Smith@eastriding.gov.uk In April 2011, the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA) replaced the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (NESFC), with new duties and responsibilities for managing and conserving marine resources between the River Tyne and North East Lincolnshire. NEIFCA is one of ten such Authorities which have adopted the shared National Vision: “To lead, champion and manage a sustainable marine environment and inshore fisheries, by successfully securing the right balance between social, environmental and economic benefits to ensure healthy seas, sustainable fisheries and a viable industry”. The UK scallop (Pecten maximus) fishery is one of the most valuable single species fisheries, with over 30,000 tonnes landed in 2017 (MMO annual statistics, 2017). Scallop fisheries lie outside the European Union Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and quota regime and fishery management is largely under the control of member states. The management of the Yorkshire Coast fishery within the 6nm fisheries limit falls to NEIFCA, which carried a framework of legacy byelaws over from the NESFC. This framework included a prohibition on dredging within 3nm of the coast, a closed season between July and September, technical regulations and gear restrictions. A significant driver behind regional management historically has been reducing conflict with static gear operators. A substantial regional fishery for European lobster (Homarus gammarus) and Brown Crab (Cancer pagurus) exists and interaction between scallop dredges and shellfish pots can cause considerable losses in terms of damaged or lost gear and loss of earnings for potters. In the absence of formal spatial segregation, the two fishing sectors have in the past made voluntary agreements and shared information in order to reduce these interactions. In 2012 a major escalation in scallop dredging activity was observed in the south of the District in an area known as ‘Silver Pit’, thought to be driven by bed closures elsewhere in the UK. Permit applications increased from vessels engaged in the emergent fishery to access and prospect grounds within the NEIFCA District. In addition to the increasing inshore scalloping effort there was also evidence of significant breaches of a long term voluntary agreement, established in 2006, between the local potting industry and the main dredging operators which set aside exclusive potting and dredging zones between Flamborough Head and Spurn Point out to 12nm. There were also concerns regarding potential impacts on sensitive habitats including biogenic reefs. In response, NEIFCA used new powers granted to it under the Marine and Coastal Access Act to introduce an emergency byelaw, establishing a new prohibited dredging zone between Filey Brigg and Spurn Point out to the 6nm jurisdictional limit. A similar situation emerged in late 2014/early 2015 off the North Yorkshire Coast, however observed effort levels and trawl permit applications rose considerably more than before. Reported landings for ICES rectangle 37E9, which covers a large part of the Yorkshire Coast fishery, increased from 76t in 2013 to 1,321t in 2015 (MMO annual statistics, 2017). Scallop dredging permits at this time were issued under the general trawl permit system so a precise figure of the number of vessels engaged in scallop dredging was unknown. Based on Officer knowledge, the number of

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permitted vessels engaged in dredging rose from 22 in 2013 to 46 in early 2015 with additional applications being received daily. As had occurred in 2012, reports of gear conflict between static gear operators and dredging vessels increased. Due to the lack of evidence surrounding the extant scallop stocks and the potential impacts on lobster and crab stocks, NEIFCA again invoked its emergency byelaw making powers and prohibited scallop dredging within the District. The Authority, recognising the limitations of the current management framework, began work on a new byelaw introducing a dedicated permit scheme with robust monitoring and reporting requirements. Significant consultation was carried out with both mobile and static gear operators resulting in additional spatial and temporal restrictions that were acceptable to all parties. Research was carried out to address key data deficiencies and a very limited fishery was given approval to proceed as a scientific trial. The fishery has been operating for the past two seasons with three permits, allowing further research to be carried out. Work carried out to date suggests that scallop stocks are recovering and ambitions remain to extend the fishery further, both spatially and with regards to the number of permits. Concerns still remain regarding habitat impacts and particularly, to what extent the fishery is affecting local crab stocks. To address these, further work is being carried out to ground truth existing habitat maps and to quantify the level of bycatch occurring on permitted scallop vessels. Natal Origin and Movement Patterns of Paddlefish within the Mississippi River Basin 1Ryan N. Hupfeld, 2Sara J. Tripp, 3Gregory Whitledge, and 4Quinton E. Phelps 1 Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Missouri River Monitoring Station, Onawa, IA 2Missouri Department of Conservation, Big Rivers and Wetlands Field Station, Cape Girardeau, MO 3Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 4West Virginia University, Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, Morgantown, WV ryan.hupfeld@dnr.iowa.gov Migration can be important to the growth and survival of fishes at different life stages and occur in many different environments and aquatic ecosystems. For instance, numerous freshwater fish species in large rivers have been documented to make long distance migrations. Evidence exists that suggest Paddlefish have the ability to travel long distances, cross multiple state boundaries, and move among multiple rivers within the Mississippi River Basin. However, the relative importance of different river reaches as natal environments for Paddlefish in the Mississippi River Basin is unknown, and knowledge of the frequency of Paddlefish movement among these interconnected rivers is limited. Thus, we sought to evaluate inter-river movement patterns of Paddlefish and to determine natal environment of Paddlefish collected in the Upper Mississippi River, Middle Mississippi River, and Missouri River using lower dentary bone Sr:Ca. We documented that Paddlefish captured in the Mississippi River Basin

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may move throughout these interconnected large rivers at various life stages. This suggests movement patterns or environmental life history of Paddlefish must be taken into account to properly manage this species. Because of this, interjurisdictional cooperation will likely be needed to ensure the success of Paddlefish within the Mississippi River Basin. Estuary Edges 2018 Amy Pryor1 and Steve Colclough2

1Thames Estuary Partnership 2Colclough & Coates -SC2

E-mail address of the corresponding author: a.pryor@ucl.ac.uk, colcloughcoates@gmail.com Measures to address impacts of physical modifications in the Tidal Thames have been implemented over the last 20 years from timber bolt on structures to sloping set back terraces. Estuary Edges planning guidance (2008) featured many of these sites as case studies and designs that could help soften hard-engineered flood walls. This guidance proved popular and has been used extensively by the Environment Agency (EA) and coastal engineers. The guidance is now out of date and not fit for purpose. Mitigations featured in Estuary Edges have never been revisited to evaluate their true habitat value or structural integrity over time. Constant development and demand for economic growth means regulators and partners need this information to promote these measures and help achieve Good Ecological Potential under the Water Framework Directive. Significant infrastructure projects such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel and the Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100 (FRM) compound this requirement.

In 2017, the EA secured funding to complete post project appraisals of these measures in a project managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership (TEP). Through wider collaboration bringing together a very broad range of expertise across the estuary, we are now delivering an update of Estuary Edges, producing a user friendly guide, and a suite of case studies. Through a further project, Thames Citizen Fish Project, we intend to develop a sustainable and replicable future monitoring model for use on intertidal sites in the Thames and elsewhere, through citizen science.

Surveys of sites featured in Estuary Edges and others delivered since, were conducted in October 2017. Plant, fish and invertebrate surveys were conducted in parallel. Site descriptions and observations on structural integrity were made. A social survey of selected sites was also conducted.

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Amy Pryor of TEP provides an overview of the project followed by a summary of findings of the fish survey programme managed by Steve Colclough of Colclough & Coates -SC2 in collaboration with ZSL.

10 species of fish covering some 767 individual specimens were captured using a multi-method sampling technique involving winged fyke nets, seine nets and block nets. All fish were identified, enumerated, measured and returned to the water. 39% of the total catch was made up of juvenile bass Dicentrarchus labrax.

Capture rates varied considerably between sites. Site design was considered to be a critical element in the degree of fish utilisation. Tidal height, gradient, drainage channel evolution and vegetation cover are all important considerations. A complex of micro-habitats, with low gradients (but not flat), drainage channels and adequate vegetative cover will optimise multiple species fish utilisation of terrace structures.

The current level of science and understanding of fish utilisation of these sites should be brought to bear on site design for new sites. It may also be possible to adopt subtle design modifications to existing sites to improve fish utilisation. Post project appraisal, including ecological studies, should become a standard element in future site implementation. Each site is unique and continues to improve our understanding.

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Several sites have been studied previously. Long term studies of key sites should be undertaken to understand more clearly how these sites evolve over time. This will further inform future design.

A more holistic ecosystem services or even Natural Capital approach should be adopted, to maximise the benefits from future site creation and realise important contributory funding streams. Interactions of static gear fisheries and offshore Windfarms on the Yorkshire coast Mike Roach University of Hull E-mail address of the corresponding author: M.Roach@2009.hull.ac.uk The fall and rise of freshwater angling participation in England & Wales John William Ellis and Peter Andrew Henery. Canal & River Trust.UK Canal & River Trust, First Floor North, Station House, 500 Elder Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1BB E-mail address of the corresponding author: John.ellis@canalrivertrust.org.uk The need for the funding of fisheries work Sustaining resilient fisheries in the 21st century requires reliable sources of funding. Much of this funding currently derives from anglers, through the payment of the hypothecated rod licence tax to the Environment Agency as well as payment of permit fees to fishery owners and operators. Angling Participation decline The past few years has seen an ongoing decline in participation as measured both by rod licence sales and participation in events such as NFA/Angling Trust National Championships. Between 1990 and 1995, more than 5000 participants competed annually in the various divisions of this event. Participation rates have dropped rapidly since then, particularly since the start of the new millennium. Since 2012 less than 1000 participants have taken part annually, a more than 80% overall decline. The ongoing decline in participation is already seriously threatening fisheries funding. There is no obvious evidence to suggest an increase in rod licence evasion at least in recent years as numbers of rod licence checks and prosecutions are broadly similar year or year since 2013.

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Recruitment models in other sport The paper explores recruitment models adopted by other sports and the role that being part of a team plays in generating interest in a sport. With a few exceptions, the 3000 or so fishing clubs in England & Wales no longer nurture junior teams. Only 8 teams took part in the 2018 junior national championships (32 competitors) compared to 49 teams (588 competitors) in the 1990 NFA junior national championships. Previous recruitment initiatives The paper explores various aspects of previous well-intentioned and largely underfunded delivery. Has there been an over-emphasis on the collection of datasets to meet funder requirements rather than the delivery of a high quality and ongoing coaching programme for young people that creates long term anglers? Should more emphasis be places on the delivery of initiatives such as CAST awards? Can a bad initial experience where a fish is not caught deter young people from ever trying fishing again? Canal & River Trust involvement Canal & River Trust are the largest owners of freshwater coarse fishing rights in the UK. Eight million people reside within 1km of a Trust owned fishery and around 52% of the population of England & Wales within 5 miles of one. Having secured funding from the Angling Trust, Canal & River Trust is part way through its first full year of its Let’s Fish participation programme. Let’s Fish has placed great emphasis on delivery by qualified and licensed Angling Trust coaches. We pay special attention to appropriate peg spacing, rig quality, feeding and bait presentation. There is little if any evidence that a one-off taster session is sufficient to create a lifelong angler, so we are also focusing on developing ongoing participation pathways with our partner clubs where they can do so. Early results Unlike in times gone by, relatively few anglers possess the skillsets to make the most of the fishing opportunities offered by these predominantly naturally stocked canal fisheries provide. This is also true for many qualified and licensed coaches and we have arranged CPD days and on-site canal angling development events for coaches. Consequently, around 95% of the 3000 plus Lets Fish participants have caught at least one fish with a typical average being half a dozen fish of two or three different species such as perch, roach, rudd, gudgeon or bream. Several partner clubs including Wybunbury Anglers have reported a significant advance in sales of memberships to junior anglers during 2018. Over 80 youngsters have entered the 2018 national junior canal championships, quadrupling the previous event record attendance. We intend to allow younger competitors to take part in 2019, lowering the age limit for participants to 8 years. Despite the early promising results, there remains much to do for turning around the decline in angling participation. It is more likely to be a marathon rather than a sprint requiring in part a different philosophy for the current approach. This change in philosophy will hopefully emerge as one key component of the updated National Angling Strategy

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Session 7. Mitigation and Recovery A review of post-pollution fish mortality assessment methods and remediation strategies - How appropriate are they? Shaun J. Plenty WSP, UK 2 London Square, Cross Lanes, Guildford, GU1 1UN E-mail address of the corresponding author: shaun.plenty@wsp.com Approaches to the assessment of post-pollution fish mortality and the implementation of remediation strategies often varies greatly between incidents. Following a major fish kill event it is standard practice for a walkover mortality survey to be carried out whereby visible fish carcasses are counted along subsampled 100 m stretches of river. The numbers of dead fish recorded are then used to facilitate extrapolation of losses to the entire waterway. It is acknowledged that post-kill walkover surveys are a useful tool that can provide important information concerning the species affected and the age-classes of fish killed. Research indicates that the accuracy of walkover mortality surveys in determining fish morality numbers is, however, dependent on a number of factors including discharge rate, depth and turbidity of the stream/river as well as removal of carcasses by predators. Simulated fish kill studies show that the accuracy of walkover mortality surveys conducted 4 hours after an event is questionable for fish less than 8 cm long (fork length, FL), even as soon as 4 hours after an event. Accuracy is increased for fish greater than 11 cm and 17 cm long (FL), providing the survey is carried out within 24 hours and 48 hours respectively. Due to the limitations of fish mortality walkover surveys it is important that the fish estimates they produce are cross checked. In an ideal scenario recent baseline data will be available that can be used to estimate the fish population along an impacted river as it was prior to a pollution event. The availability of such data ensures regulators can make informed accurate decisions with regards the number of fish killed and the if the polluter should be prosecuted. Baseline data also protects the polluter and their insurers against inflated civil claims and unreasonable restocking costs. In view of the importance of baseline data the question is asked as to whether or not it would be appropriate for regular aquatic ecological monitoring to a be specified as an approval condition for planning permissions and/or discharge consents relating to high risk operations. In the absence of recent baseline data, the National Fish Populations Database (NFPD) can provide historical data that can be extrapolated to produce fish mortality estimates for a given waterway as well as useful information regarding the species and size classes of fish likely to have been killed. As with fish mortality walkover surveys, the use of NFPD data to estimate fish mortality following a pollution event has certain limitations. Ideally a number of annual NFPD quantitative electric fish surveys will have been carried out at various sample sites along the polluted stretch

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prior to the pollution incident and at least five years after any prior fish kill events. The mean populations calculated for each sample site can then be extrapolated to give an estimate for the entire impacted length of river. Prior fish kill event dates should be checked against NFPD survey dates to ensure that surveys carried out within five years of a prior event are not used in a fish kill assessment as doing so would lead to an underestimation of the numbers of fish killed. It is also important to note that NPFD surveys provide a snapshot of what fish are present at a location on a given day. In the case of a small number of surveys being carried out at a given sample site this can lead to an overestimation of the numbers of highly mobile and shoaling fish species killed (for example bream) if they were present at the time of the survey. Once a reasonable estimate of fish mortality is determined the question arises as to whether or not to restock the impacted stretch. Many factors should be considered, including the inherent risks of restocking (disease transfer, loss of genetic diversity), the species of fish to be replaced, the likely survival rates for stocked fish as well as the likely natural recovery time of the impacted waterway and whether or not fish are likely to naturally repopulate the impacted length of river. Should restocking go ahead then important consideration should be given to where the fish are sourced from, the numbers of fish to be restocked and the locations at which they are introduced. The time at which of restocking occurs should also be considered both in terms of time after the pollution event and the time of year. Application of probabilistic encounter and injury modelling techniques to predicting the impact of anthropogenic activities upon fisheries Alexander Scorey APEM Ltd., Wales APEM Limited, First Floor, 7 Old Field Road, Bocam Park, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ E-mail address of the corresponding author: a.scorey@apemltd.co.uk The sustainable management of fisheries requires an understanding of the current and/or future pressures that may be exerted upon them. Methods of quantifying these pressures upon fisheries and fish populations often attempt to calculate overall losses to viable spawning populations or annual recruitment in terms of numbers of fish or proportions of populations. Quantification of pressures upon viable spawning populations is often conducted in a two-stage approach. Initially, the likelihood of an individual (or proportion of a stock) encountering a given anthropogenic activity is predicted. Following this, the likelihood of individuals being affected by this activity, in the form of factors such as mortality, growth, fitness or fecundity, is then predicted. This approach can be applied in riverine, lacustrine, estuarine and marine environments and for anthropogenic activities such as construction, water

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abstraction, thermal/other effluent discharges and energy generation. The quantitative information provided by this approach is then often used to assess the effect upon populations, considering the current status of the population and their ability to withstand and/or recover from these pressures, before decisions are made to conduct the activities. There are numerous techniques and methods available to quantify the numbers of fish or proportions of populations affected by current and / or future pressures. A range of different approaches utilised by APEM on recent projects to calculate encounter rates and mortality rates will be discussed, and how these can be applied within existing consenting and licensing processes to ensure appropriate risk-based decisions are made for consenting or permitting anthropogenic activities. Determining fish passage solution success for river-resident brown trout; the importance of ‘before’ data and understating the influence of flow, fish size and translocation. Jamie Dodd, Jon Bolland & Ian Cowx Hull International Fisheries Institute, University of Hull, United Kingdom E-mail address of the corresponding author: Jamie.Dodd@hull.ac.uk Anthropogenic alterations to rivers such as construction of barrages, dams and weirs have caused fragmentation of river systems globally. This break-up of longitudinal connectivity has reduced the bidirectional migration and dispersal of fish species resulting in restricted access to key life stage habitats to complete their life cycles, which can cause declines in fish populations. To date, most research has focused on remediation measures to ease movement of anadromous salmonids past such barriers. Indeed, little research has examined their efficacy for river-resident fish, which may be less motivated to move, require passage over a wider range of flows and are often smaller than the anadromous counterparts are. One method used to assess the efficiency of these fish passes is Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) telemetry. The technology uses antennas that give off electromagnetic fields to momentarily charge a uniquely identifiable PIT tag within range. Once charged the tag transponds its ID back to the antenna which is then stored on a nearby logging system. By incorporating multiple antennas above, below and inside a fish pass an in-depth understanding of the efficiency of the structure can be interpreted from the order of detection locations. PIT telemetry was used to better assess the upstream-directed movements of river-resident brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) approaching and ascending three fish passes in northern England.

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The three fish passes were: 1) A nature-like bypass channel at Rodley Weir on the River Aire. The bypass channel was 150-m long, located on the north bank of the River Aire and was constructed as a route past a 1.8-m high weir. The downstream section of the fish pass (1.80-m wide x 15.00-m length) was constructed of vertical concrete-block banks, the middle section contained 12 low-head (0.15-m) steps, gentle sloping landscaped banks and an area of backwater habitat, and the upstream section (2.50-m wide x 3.00-m length) was constructed from steel pilings. 2) A Low Cost Baffle (LCB) fish pass on Eshton beck. The pass was constructed on a thin plate weir, which was 14.00-m wide, with a 0.59-m head and a 7.13-m flat concrete apron downstream of the crest, divided into two sections, with the upper section (3.08-m) having a slope of 1:9 while the downstream section (4.05-m) had a slope of 1:51. The pass consisted of 17 recycled plastic baffles (0.20-m high and 0.10-m thick) that lay horizontally across the weir apron 90° to the flow. Each of the baffles had a 0.3-m gap and these were progressively offset across the weir apron, resulting in an oblique corridor of notches. 3) A LCB fish pass at Mallorie Weir on the River Laver. The weir was 9.98-m wide and has a head difference of 2.30-m. The weir was divided into 3 sections consisting of 2 pre-barrage stilling pools and a flat concrete apron that had 6 recycled plastic baffles that lay horizontally across the weir apron 90° to the flow. Each of the baffles had a 0.3-m gap and these were progressively offset across the weir apron, resulting in an oblique corridor of notches. In each study all brown trout were >120-mm and were tagged with 23-mm (half-duplex) PIT tags. Only when fish were deemed to have fully recovered from the surgery were they released back into the river downstream of their respective fish pass (Rodley 350-m, Eshton 500-m, Mallorie 200-m). Attraction efficiency (51%) at Rodley was comparable to other studies investigating river-resident species approaching nature-like bypasses. Size analysis indicated that significantly larger fish were detected at the pass in comparison to those not detected. Entrance (86%), passage (78%) and exit (97%) efficiencies were high in comparison to other salmonid studies, including ones with obglatory migrating anadromous fish. Trout of a wide range of sizes entered and exited the pass across a wide range of flows (entrance = Q2 - Q97 and exit = Q13 - Q93). Further analysis indicated that fish were using the pass as habitat and not just a passage route past the weir. The construction of a LCB fish pass on Eshton beck significantly improved overall passage efficiency from a maximum of 64% before construction to 91% after. In addition, there was a significant decrease in delay at the obstruction after the LCB fish pass was constructed and fish passed on a greater range of flows (Q4 – Q93) in

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comparison to before (Q35 – Q17). Fish ascended the fish pass through the low velocity channel (gaps in the baffles) as well as over the baffles, though a higher proportion were detected ascending over baffles at higher flows.

The study at Mallorie Weir LCB fish pass indicated that more trout displaced from upstream approached (76%), entered (59%) and ascended (95%) in comparison to resident trout caught below the weir (29%, 14% and 100%, respectively). The size of fish that approached the weir and the time between release and first approach to the weir were similar for displaced and non-displaced fish. However, significantly larger fish were observed to enter the pass in comparison to those available that did not pass. Both non-displaced and displaced fish approached (Q11 - Q94), entered (Q26 – Q88) and ascended (Q27 – Q88) the pass on statistically comparable flow. Activity of displaced fish was significantly greater during all hours of the day with non-displaced trout favouring the hours around dawn and dusk. Each of these studies has indicated the ability of river-resident trout to approach, enter and pass the respective barrier. Most notably is the range of flows in which these fish are able to ascend the pass and gain access to additional habitat that may previously have only been reached under certain flows. The study at Mallorie Weir provided further knowledge into the effect that displacement has on the assessment of fish passage and how motivation plays a key role in how we need to monitor fish passage facilities. The use of displaced fish offers a method to help overcome the urgent need to assess fishway designs for river-resident fish globally by enabling them to be performed with fewer tagged fish, over short duration and at reduced cost. Contextualising impacts on fish at the population and stock level to aid permitting decisions Nicola Teague APEM Ltd, Wales. APEM Ltd, First Floor, 7 Old Field Road, Bocam Park, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ. E-mail address of the corresponding author: n.teague@apemltd.co.uk An increase in energy infrastructure projects (from the nuclear new build programme, expansion of marine renewable energy generation and increasing energy demand) in the aquatic environment as well as an increasing water demand has the potential to cause impacts upon fish populations in riverine, lacustrine, estuarine and marine environments. In particular water intake systems and the operation of hydropower schemes has the potential to result in fish mortalities. To gain consent for the development of such projects and aid permit applications there is a requirement to understand the context of predicted fish losses at the population or stock level. The sustainable management of fisheries and fish populations requires an understanding of the current and/or future pressures that may be exerted upon them.

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Methods of quantifying pressures upon fisheries and fish populations often attempt to calculate overall losses to viable spawning populations or annual recruitment of numbers of fish or proportions of populations. Quantification of pressures upon viable spawning populations is often conducted in a broad two-stage approach. Initially, the likelihood of an individual (or proportion of a stock) encountering a given anthropogenic activity is predicted. The likelihood of individuals being affected by this activity, in the form of factors such as mortality, growth, fitness or fecundity, is then predicted. The quantitative information provided by this approach is then often used to assess the effect upon populations, considering the current status of the population and their ability to withstand and/or recover from these pressures, before decisions are made on projects. As with all modelling, uncertainty is inherent within these techniques and needs to be clearly understood and managed to allow conclusions to be drawn that are ‘beyond reasonable scientific doubt’. There is a need to set/determine acceptable thresholds of effect upon fish populations or stocks which can be agreed, justified in scientific terms, defended and monitored. An overview will be provided of the methods which can be employed to make these assessments and the considerations required in their undertaking and application. How resilient are canal fisheries to invasive species: a consideration of the ecological, legal, financial and practical aspects with special reference to the Zander, an introduced piscivorous fish Phillip Smith(1) and John Ellis(2)

1. School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire,

AL10 9AB, UK. 2. Canal & River Trust, Canal & River Trust First Floor, North Station House, 500

Elder Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 1BB. E-mail address of the corresponding author: phil.smith.bures@btinternet.com Introduction Canals and canal fishing are part of our heritage. Fishing on canals is important to anglers because it’s easily accessible, there’s plenty of fish to be caught and it doesn’t cost too much! Canals are great locations to introduce new blood to the sport – many hundreds of thousands of anglers from Ivan Marks to Rob Hughes started fishing on their local canal.

The Canal & River Trust (the Trust) manage most of the canal system in the UK. The Trust is a charity and exists to support the waterways and wellbeing. It brings to life 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales. It is based on the idea that waterways have the power to make a positive difference to our lives.

The Trust seeks to balance the needs of various stakeholders and this includes a statutory duty to provide fishing on cruising waterways. Fisheries contribute to the overall aim of “making life better by water for millions of people across England and Wales”. Eight million people live within 1 km of a canal and this close proximity supports the generation of new anglers, particularly children.

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Threats to canal fisheries from invasive fish Introduced non-native species can affect canal fisheries in a number of ways. These include:

• The enjoyment of fishing and hence commercial income. • An ecological impact on wildlife including Sites of Special Scientific Interest

(SSI). • The recruitment of the next generation of anglers.

An overview of the impact of nine invasive fish species is given in Table 1. The range of management options include:

• Do nothing and accept the impact. • Eradicate the invasive species (or reduce abundance to a level where impact

is accepted). • Limit the expansion of the population and make best use of any opportunities

that arise. A detailed case study on the impact and management of Zander Zander was introduced into UK waters in 1878 but did not establish self-sustaining populations in un-enclosed waters until 1963. Zander were first found in the North Oxford Canal in 1976 and, despite attempts to the contrary, have subsequently expanded their range through natural colonisation aided by illegal stocking. The current known distribution in UK canals is given in Figure1.

The evidence base for the management of Zander in the canal system is drawn mainly from a three year PhD study by Smith5 and a number of published papers 1-4,6,7.These represent the most intensive study of canal fisheries and the effect of Zander conducted so far and builds on earlier work by and Kell8 and Fickling9. Impact of boat traffic on canal fish populations The research on fish populations in canals has demonstrated that the numbers of boats using a canal was the main factor in determining the numbers and types of fish present. Canals with only a low amount of boat traffic tend to be characterised by having clear water, lots of water plants and a fish community of roach, perch, bream, tench, pike and carp. Canals with high volumes of boat traffic tend to be turbid, have few water plants and have a fish community of mainly roach and gudgeon with numbers of perch, bream and other fish species. Table 1: An overview of possible impacts of invasive fish on canal fisheries

Species Enjoyment of Fishing

Ecological threat

Commercial threat

Distribution Overall impact

Bitterling negligible low low limited low Catfish (Wels) positive? low medium? limited low Goldfish negligible low low limited low Grass carp positive positive? low limited low Koi carp negligible low low limited low Sterlet negligible low low limited low Sunbleak mixed low low limited low Topmouth gudgeon negative low low limited low

50

Zander mixed* high** high expanding high * Some anglers would like to catch Zander from canals but overall negative ** Strong evidence that Zander affect the fish community of heavily trafficked narrow canals Zander distribution and impacts If we look at the abundance and distribution of zander in the canal system we see that once introduced they can establish populations that are relatively large in those canals that have a high level of boat traffic, turbid water and few waterplants. In these environments, the diet of zander is mainly fish of less than 15cm in length. Roach are the main food but it appears that Zander actively choose to eat gudgeon rather than other fish if they can. The effect is that gudgeon can be almost wiped out and roach numbers, especially those less than 100mm long, can be severely reduced (which has a major impact on the fishery as these fish form the majority of fish caught by anglers). There is no doubt that the zander is at an advantage in these murky waters because it has a specially-adapted eye to see in low light levels.

From a fisheries management perspective the research supported the suggestion that the introduction of Zander causes a decline in fishery value for those canals with a high level of boat traffic. This can partly be explained by the observation3 that 75% of those fish caught by anglers fishing canals were less than 100mm and this is the size range of fish that are impacted by zander.

In canals with low boat traffic the water is much clearer, there are many waterplants and while zander may establish populations these are relatively smaller than those in heavily-trafficked canals and it appears that they have little, if any effect on other fish. Manging zander populations The impact of an established Zander population on commercial rental value of a narrow canal with a high level of boat traffic is estimated to be £96,760 per annum (Table 2). This is increasing as further colonisation takes place. This figure is derived from comparator rents from sections of canal with established Zander populations and nearby sections which are uncolonised. The is likely to be an overestimate as other factors such as access, parking, etc would have influenced the ability to attract comparable rents. It does, however, provide a useful ‘economic indicator’ of commercial impact. Options for the removal of zander were subject to a very detailed assessment4,5. The main conclusion was that electrofishing had to be very intensive and has to be repeated over a number of years before it would have a significant effect. This is because electrofishing has a low efficiency for capturing small (< 20cm) zander.

From a practical perspective, and using the equipment and approaches available today, it would be necessary to electrofish sections of canal at least twice a year to reduce their impact on other fish. Both the Canal & River Trust and the clubs that rent fishing rights on currently uncolonised sections of canal are also anxious to avoid further southerly spread. The rate of natural colonisation of the canal system by Zander could be significantly slowed down by electrofishing those sections that contain Zander at the edge of their range.

Clarification of the legal situation of non-native species

51

It is worth mentioning that since the 1990s there has been an increase in the numbers of anglers who are seeking to catch Zander either to take home and eat or as a sport fish with the latter wanting to adopt a catch and release approach.

Zander are currently classified by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a non-native invasive species. As the law stands any Zander or other non-native fish caught, whether in fish rescues or by anglers must not be returned to the canal network. This is clearly stated in the Trust’s Keeping and Introduction of Fish (KIFR) permit. In 2015, the Trust applied to develop a Midland canal Zander zone where Zander could be returned but this was not granted. Table 2: The Impact of Zander on commercial income from canals per annum Canal Established

population Type of Impact

Estimated loss of fishery income

Grand Union, Three Locks to Braunston tunnel

36 miles Fishery £14,040

Grand Union, Norton Junction to Kilby Bridge

31 miles Fishery £12,090

Grand Union, Braunston to Knowle 50 miles Fishery £19,500 Coventry Canal plus adjacent areas 42 miles Fishery £16,380 North Oxford Canal 27 miles Fishery £10,530 Ashby Canal 22 miles Ecological (minor fishery

loss) South Oxford Canal Napton to Kidlington 38 miles Fishery £14,820 South Stratford Canal 24 miles Fishery £9,360 Gloucester & Sharpness Canal 17 miles Minor -

287 miles

£96,720 The current view of Canal & River Trust in relation to the management of Zander The current approach, subject to the availability of funding and based on evidence, is given below 1) Active management by removal of Zander in the following scenarios:

a. To limit further expansion e.g. Grand Union Canal mainline from the Long Buckby flight southwards to the known southern limit of Zander and to support recovery of roach stocks.

b. In response to periodic reports of isolated illegal introductions e.g. Trent & Mersey Canal and Staffordshire & Worcester Canal.

c. Removal of Zander from canals were SSI status could be threatened e.g. Ashby Canal and Leicester line summit which is adjacent to the Kilby-Foxton SSSI.

2) No active management of Zander populations where removal is not practical or there is little, or no, effect on the fishery and the SSI status of the canal is unlikely to be affected by Zander e.g. Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

3) Seek to enable a legal basis for the catch and return of Zander from certain Midlands canals were populations are established and SSI status is not likely to be affected.

52

References 1) Smith, P.A (2006) Cost-effective survey of fish by the intensive netting of a linear

canal in the Midlands (UK). CIWEM J., 19 (3), 71-78. 2) Smith, P.A (2003) A cost effective survey of fish occurring in a linear waterbody

CIWEM J., 17 181-186. 3) Smith, P.A. (2002) The relationship between stock and catch and the effect of

bait on catch as determined for a UK recreational catch and release fishery. Fish. Manage. Ecol. 9, 261–266

4) Smith, P.A. (1998) A financial appraisal of management options for fisheries colonized by zander, an introduced piscivorous fish. Proceedings of the 1998 Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Conference, Cambridge.

5) Smith, P. A. (1998) The impact and management of Zander (Stizostedion lucioperca L.), an introduced piscivorous fish, in UK Canals, PhD Thesis, The University of Liverpool. 252pp.

6) Smith, P. A., Leah, R. T. and Eaton, J. W. (1998) A review of the current knowledge on the introduction, ecology and management of zander in the UK. In "Stockings and introduction of fish". Edited by I. G. Cowx. Fishing News Books. Oxford. pp 209-224.

7) Smith, P. A., Leah, R. T. and Eaton, J. W. (1996) Removal of pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca L.) from a British Canal as a management technique to reduce impact on prey fish populations. Annales Zoologici Fennici 33: 537-546.

8) Kell, L. (1985). The impact of an alien piscivore (Stizostedion lucioperca L.) on a British fishery. PhD Thesis. The University of Liverpool. 420pp.

9) Fickling, N. J. (1982). The ecology of the pikeperch. MPhil Thesis. University of Aston, Birmingham. 394pp.

53

Figure 1 The known distribution of Zander (pictured as inset) in the UK canal system as of Oct 2018 and current management by the Canal & River Trust

54

Session 8. Future Proofing Fisheries

Unlocking the Severn: past, present and future of the twaite shad (Alosa fallax) migration in the River Severn catchment

Peter Davies1,2, J. Rob Britton1, Mike Morris3, Charles Crundwell4, and Jonathan D.

Bolland2

1Bournemouth University

2Hull International Fisheries Institute

3Severn Rivers Trust

4Environment Agency

E-mail address of the corresponding author: pdavies1@bournemouth.ac.uk

The past

Historical accounts suggest that anadromous shad (Alosa spp.) populations once

supported important fisheries in the UK, including in the River Thames and Severn,

where their annual return to freshwater heralded a return of plentiful times for those

living along the river. From this state of abundance, populations of anadromous

twaite shad (Alosa fallax) and allis shad (A. alosa) have declined due to water

pollution, overexploitation and the construction of man-made barriers including

navigation weirs built during the industrial revolution. These barriers blocked access

to spawning habitat and caused a suite of habitat modifications including a shift from

riverine to lacustrine conditions in long sections of river.

The present

While water quality has generally improved and shad are now protected in the UK,

rivers remain heavily impounded, and shad populations have not rebounded to pre-

industrial levels. A. fallax populations currently spawn in four rivers, including the

River Severn, where the Heritage Lottery and EU/LIFE funded ‘Unlocking the

Severn’ partnership aims to reopen shad spawning grounds by partially removing a

weir and installing new fish passes on five other barriers in the Rivers Severn and

Teme. The project aims to increase reproductive success by restoring pool and riffle

habitat, providing new gravel habitat for spawning, and allowing shad to access

spawning habitat in previously inaccessible stretches of river. It is hoped that a return

of shad will reconnect people living along the Severn with a forgotten natural

phenomenon.

To gather baseline data on shad movements pre-barrier remediation, acoustic

telemetry has been used in 2017 and 2018 to track twaite shad on their migration

through the Severn catchment. This research has revealed new insights into the

current use of impounded rivers by migrating shad, such as their behaviour around

barriers, spawning movements and return migrations. Shad have been shown to be

highly dynamic, exhibiting multiple upstream and downstream movements during

their freshwater phase, which can last over a month. Distinct movement patterns

55

exist between individuals, with some appearing to exhibit exploratory ‘searching’

behaviour, while others show high residency in relatively small areas. These may

reflect strategies employed by different sexes, where males spend time ‘searching’

for females, which become resident at suitable spawning habitat. Many individuals

also displayed strong diel patterns of habitat use, with a high proportion of acoustic

detections in certain upstream areas at night, and downstream areas during the day.

These observations are likely to represent spawning movements; direct observations

of shad spawning over the last two years have suggested that peak spawning on the

Severn occurs during the hours of darkness, between 12-3am.

The future

In late 2018, the first ‘Unlocking the Severn’ barrier improvements were conducted

on Environment Agency-owned weirs in the River Teme at Powick and Knightwick.

In spring 2019, the movements of a new batch of migrating shad will be compared

with baseline data gathered over the last two years, to study the initial effects of this

work on shad movements in the River Teme, and in future years the effects of fish

pass installation in the River Severn. 75% of shad tagged in 2018 were detected

returning to the Severn estuary following their time in freshwater; with a battery life of

three years, their acoustic tags may allow us to study the migrations of returning fish

in future seasons, as well as their movements at sea. Scale samples taken from

shad will be used to age fish and identify spawning marks – these data will be

integrated with movement data to investigate potential influence of previous

spawning experience on migration dynamics. Future work will also aim to map

spawning areas.

Fisheries post-Brexit – Progress and prospects

Richard Barnes

University of Hull

E-mail address of the corresponding author: R.A.Barnes@hull.ac.uk

This talk will provide an update on the development of a legal and policy framework

for marine fisheries post-Brexit. This will focus on the key features of the Fisheries

White Paper, offering insights into the different perspectives on the shape and

content of the proposed Fisheries Bill. These insights will will draw upon positions

taken by different parts of the industry, the third sector (environmental NGOs),

Parliamentary committees and the EU. I will add my own suggestions about what

could and should be included within the future legislation. In particular, I will stress

the fundamental role of good science and its effective communication. I will also

stress the importance of a regime driven by stewardship and responsibility – not

merely rights.

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The Future of Fisheries – What Can Angling Do?: Developing a New

National Angling Strategy

Adam Brown Substance, UK

Canada House, 3 Chepstow St, Manchester, M16 0FN

E-mail address of the corresponding author: adam.brown@substance.net

The Environment Agency have commissioned Substance to research and develop a

new National Angling Strategy. This will be done in conjunction with the EA and

other partners, including a number of angling and fishery organisations.

The new strategy will replace Fishing for Life: A national strategy for getting people fishing 2013-2018, which is now due for renewal to cover the period 2019-202.

This session will allow delegates to contribute their ideas on the new strategy in a

structured discussion.

1. Context

The development of the strategy fits within a changing strategic context and it

development over the next five years is likely to have important implications for the

future of fisheries.

EA Context

Angling’s development falls within the broader EA remit to ‘to create better places for

people and wildlife and support sustainable development’ and its remit to:

• Conserve freshwater fish and their aquatic environment.

• Enhance the economic contribution of fisheries.

• Enhance the social value of fishing as a healthy form of recreation.

Recreational angling involves between two and three million people a year,

contributing significant economic1 and social value2. It is a major contributor of

finance to the EA’s fisheries work through the compulsory Rod Licence. As such the

EA wishes to deliver:

1 There are no up to date, accurate figures for the total population of anglers, or of economic value, in

the UK, or England and Wales. The most recent population-level studies relate to sea angling which

estimate in the region of 800,000 to 1m people sea angling at least once in the UK a year (Arkenford

(2017), ONS (2013)). 950,000 people bought freshwater Rod Licences in 2017 although these will

cross-over with sea anglers. With regard to economic value in 2012, sea angling was calculated to be

worth £1.2bn (Armstrong et al 2013; Munday et al 2017). In 2007, gross freshwater angler

expenditure in England and Wales was £1.18 billion and 37,386 jobs were generated (Radford et al

2007). 2 Brown, A, Djohari, N and Stolk, P (2012) Fishing for Answers: The social and community benefits of

angling, Manchester: Substance.

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• An improved environment and more fish.

• More people fishing and more places to fish.

• More satisfied customers.

Income from Rod Licence sales in 2016-17 was £20.7m from 961,714 individuals.

However, the broader context is that from 2000-2010 licence sales increased 1.02m

to 1.4m but since 2010 there has been a 15% decline and a reduction of £3.5m in

income3; and junior sales fell 14.2% in 2015-16. To address this, the EA has

introduced free junior licences; online sales and rolling licence renewals.

Other changes to the EA’s approach include: outsourcing work under the National

Angling Strategic Services contract, some elements of which were part of the

previous strategy; developing work with partner organisations to deliver habitat and

stock improvement; and development of the England Fisheries Group (EFG) to

oversee and coordinate this work.

Government Context

There have been some important changes to the governmental context for the

strategy. These include:

• The Brexit process and uncertainty over the regulation and governance of

both freshwater and marine fisheries.

• The Government’s 25-year environmental strategy - Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment – including several elements relevant

to angling (health and wellbeing, use of green spaces, contributing to

environmental improvement, green infrastructure etc.)

• The Government new sports strategy – Sporting Future – and Sport

England’s strategy – Toward an Active Nation, both of which emphasise

activity but also a range of health, well being and personal and community

development benefits. Sport England’s funding is currently targeted at those

aged 25+ and disabled anglers, but this may be changing.

• The Fisheries Bill White Paper which highlights the importance of recreational

angling within broader sustainable marine management.

Freshwater and Sea Angling

There have been a number of initiatives over the last few years amongst angling and

related organisations.

In freshwater, there has been the development of the voluntary bailiff, community

cohesion and participation schemes by the Angling Trust, family fishing events with

Get Hooked on Fishing and the Let’s Fish programme by the Canal and Rivers Trust.

However, there is little robust data about the transition from introductory events to

participation pathways.

3 In 2017, the EA estimates that it earned £1.2m more income than if the decline had continued

(including re-engaging 20,644 lapsed anglers)

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In sea angling, there is little funding for participation development; and the

controversial introduction of control measures for bass has sat alongside increased

research into sea angler catch data and economic value4. New research by Cefas

and Substance into sea angler attitudes will also have relevance for the new

strategy.

2. Strategy Development

The work to deliver the new strategy includes:

• Consultation with angling, environmental, government and sports bodies, to

identify strategic aims and organisational priorities, in October 2018.

• A major national survey of adult anglers administered through the EA Rod

Licence database and other channels (such as sea angling networks) in

November and December 2018.

• The development of a draft strategy and further consultation in early 2019.

The scope includes both freshwater and sea angling in England and Wales.

Additional survey elements will include small samples of juniors and non-anglers.

The data from the surveys and consultation will be used to outline:

• How participation in angling can be increased amongst non-anglers, lapsed

anglers and juniors.

• How angling can promote volunteering, bringing benefits to the EA, angling,

fisheries and volunteers themselves.

• How angling can deliver wider societal benefits, including health and well-

being.

• How angling can help improve fisheries.

A review of the previous strategy suggests that better consideration and agreement

is required over the implementation of the strategy and its governance; how it

integrates with both the National Angling Strategic Services contract and Sport

England funding; and how it can be more effectively monitored and evaluated.

3. Key questions for the IFM

It is vital that those involved in managing, improving and researching fisheries are

involved in the process. As such this presentation will be interactive, allowing

delegates to input during the session around the conferences key themes.

1. Future proofing: How should angling development help future proof

fisheries and contribute to the 25 Year Environment Plan?

2. Societal benefits: How can angling increase its societal benefits such as

well being, access to (and knowledge of) natural environments and activity?

4 www.seaangling.org

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3. Sustainable fisheries: How can anglers become active citizen scientists,

helping to sustain fisheries and improve knowledge, data and management?

An Archimedean revolution on the Isle of Sheppey

Martin van Nieuwenhuyzen Aquatic Control Engineering, Retford, Nottinghamshire, UK, E-mail address of the corresponding author: martin@aquaticcontrol.co.uk

The Isle of Sheppey on the Medway estuary is home to a revolution in screw pump

technology. The Isle of Sheppey has long been a fantastic place for nature to thrive,

providing large habitats for birds and other wildlife. On the South-East of the Island

two land drainage pumping stations had reached the end of their asset lives and

needed to be replaced.

The two existing pumping stations each housed two submersible pumps with

operating capacities totalling 2,700 litres per second across the stations. Each

station managed the levels within its own catchment. The two pumping stations were

also overseen by different organisations. Bells pumping station was owned and

operated by the Lower Medway IDB and Mocketts pumping station was an

Environment Agency asset.

Due to the two pumping stations reaching the end of their asset lives simultaneously,

the Lower Medway IDB and the Environment Agency agreed to jointly fund a single

new pumping station to replace the existing two.

There were two criteria which were of particular importance to both the Lower

Medway IDB and the Environment Agency. The pumps at both Bells and Mocketts

pumping stations were known to suffer blockages, so it was imperative to reduce the

chance of blockage. The safety of eels was also paramount as the habitat within the

drains on the Isle of Sheppey is excellent for European eels and is a fantastic natural

source of food for the birds.

With this criterion, the revolutionary Fish Flow Innovations screw pumps supplied in

the UK by Aquatic Control Engineering were selected. While the screw pumps are

revolutionary in terms of land drainage, they parallel the original design by

Archimedes himself. A key feature of the design is that the whole outer drum is

sealed to the helix within, removing any leakage and subsequently any chance of run

back. This eradicates the pinch point that is known to damage fish, while removing

the possibility of energy loss that occurs in open trough systems due to run back. To

further ensure fish friendliness, a patented leading edge is used which glides through

the water rather than striking it. The stillness of the water around the intake is

efficient and ensures a passable system for eels.

To future proof the station, the pump capacity was increased therefore, the new

pumps needed to have a joint capacity of 3,500 litres per second, meaning each

pump had to lift a staggering 1.75tonnes of water per second. The volumes and lift

capacity dictated the pumps dimensions at 2.5m diameter and 10.5m screw length.

60

The screw pump design also ensures it can operate at varying flow rates and speeds

as running it slowly will not cause efficiency losses as with open trough designs. The

new pumps at Bells and Mocketts are operating between 11.2 and 23.3 RPM which

is a fish friendly feature that also ensures longevity as the wearing parts such as

bearings are working at much lower speeds than open trough designs.

The low speed, the large space between the flights and the rotating drum also

remove any chance for blockages to develop which was a crucial feature for both the

Lower Medway IDB and the Environment Agency.

ACE would like to thank the Lower Medway IDB, the Environment Agency for the

opportunity to deliver such a great project.

Poster Abstracts

Use of artificial egg-laying structures to monitor and control Argulus

infections in a still water fisheries – reality or pipe-dream? Bradley, Hannah1, Harvey, Connor3, Shinn, Andy, P2, Hunt, Rhi4, Pitkin, Robert1,

Pegg, Josie3, Cable, Jo4, Seymour, James1, Freeman, Niall1, Lyons, Jim1 & Williams,

Chris, F1.

1National Fisheries Service, Environment Agency, Bromholme Lane, Brampton,

PE28 4NE. 2Fish Vet Group, England. 3Sparsholt College, England. 4Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales.

E-mail address of the corresponding author: hannah.bradley@environment-agency.gov.uk

The fish louse Argulus causes serious disease problems in still water fisheries

resulting in mortality, poor fishery performance and economic loss. Here we describe

the use of 110mm diameter black plastic pipes, positioned vertically in the margins of

fisheries as a cheap and simple way to monitor, harvest and remove parasite egg-

strings. Since 2016, trials have been conducted at 4 still water trout fisheries in

England ranging from 1 to 25 acres in size. Egg deposition was recorded from May to

November at temperatures between 8.4ºC and 20.2ºC. Pipes were raised, checked

and dried every 2 weeks, with up to 4,600 egg strings successfully harvested from

each pipe and up to 20 million individual eggs destroyed annually from each fishery.

Three of the four trial sites recorded a decline in egg string numbers throughout the

year with light lice burdens on the resident fish and an improvement in fishery

performance. Argulus problems persisted at one trial site which was attributed to

fishery management practices that promoted parasite survival and development. The

benefits and limitations of this approach is discussed in the context of existing options

for the management of Argulus in still water fisheries.

61

The biology of UK riverine Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus) populations with

regard to their sustainable exploitation Davies, Gareth, D1., & Davidson, Ian2., Rippon, Philip3., Hooker, James4., Clifton-

Day, Darryl5., Hillman, Robert6. & Williams, Chris, F1.

1National Fisheries Service, Environment Agency, Bromholme Lane, Brampton,

PE28 4NE. 2Natural Resources Wales, Wales, UK. 3-6Environment Agency, England, UK.

E-mail address of the corresponding author: gareth.d.davies@environment-agency.gov.uk

Smelt Osmerus eperlanus is a commercially important fish species in Great Britain.

Once considered a common species, smelt populations have seen a significant

decline in recent years. This has been attributed to habitat loss, barriers to migration,

pollution and overfishing, with subsequent designation as a Priority BAP species.

However, very little information exists on the biology of smelt in UK rivers.

Here, we address these gaps by examining the biology and life-history traits of 7

riverine populations in England and Wales, captured between 2011 and 2015. These

included laboratory examinations and age analysis of smelt from the rivers Dee, Tyne,

Waveney, Yare, Ouse, Thames and Tamar. Age determination highlighted a

consistency in maximum ages between the populations. The River Dee samples

contained the oldest fish (5 years), with all other rivers having a maximum age of 4

years. Analysis of growth rates showed no difference between male and female fish,

but significant differences between rivers. Smelt from the Great Ouse displayed the

fastest growth rate (K = 1.35), but the lowest predicted maximum length (L∞ = 211

mm). Conversely smelt from the River Tyne, showed the slowest growth rate (K =

0.39) with the greatest asymptotic mean length (L∞ = 349 mm). Female

gonadosomatic indices (GSI) were greatest in the Tyne population (mean GSI =

25.8%), with the River Yare fish exhibiting the lowest (mean GSI = 7.4%).

These findings address information gaps on the spawning stock of smelt in England

and Wales, helping underpin future management of smelt fisheries.

Qualitative Assessment of Benefits Foregone of not Achieving WFD

Good Status for Fish

Mark Charlesworth1, Lucie Haines2, Ida Tavner2, Jon Whitmore3

E-mail address of the corresponding author: jonathan.whitmore@jbaconsulting.com

1. Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales, Chester Road, Buckley,

Flintshire, CH7 3AJ

2. Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales, Maes Newydd, Britannic Way

West, Llandarcy, Neach, FA10 6JQ

3. JBA Consulting, Salts Mill, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, BD18 3LF

62

JBA Consulting and Natural Resources Wales present a qualification of the

ecosystems services that might be foregone by failing to achieve the objectives of

the Water Framework Directive specifically with regard to compromised migratory

fish populations in freshwater and estuarine waters in Wales (and the catchments of

the Tawe, Neath and Afan specifically). The information presented will help NRW

advise decision makers on whether the tests applied under Article 4.7 of the WFD

have been met. The poster presents a consideration of compromised migratory fish

populations in isolation, and doesn’t assume other composite quality elements are

also altered, or make assumptions about types of anthropogenic pressures (i.e.

developments) that are giving rise to the changes in fish status. Also presented are

sources of information that might be used in undertaking a qualification of such

services in other parts of the Wales, as well as any subsequent quantification of such

benefits.

Evaluating and delivering fish passage improvement measures at tidal

pointing doors on the River Ancholme at South Ferriby. Ryan Jennings1, B Rumble2, M Crabbe1, P Arnold2

1JBA Consulting 2Environment Agency

E-mail address of the corresponding author:

The tidal interface presents a very particular set of design challenges when

considering eel passage measures. The situation is made all the more challenging

when fluvial levels are also constrained by navigation requirements.

South Ferriby Sluices consists of a set of pointing tidal doors and a guillotine sluice

gate. JBA Consulting worked with the Environment Agency to quantify the existing

passage opportunity at the site and design, install and monitor a novel solution for

improving eel passage. Hydraulic modelling was then used, in combination with

fluvial and tidal stage telemetry data, to quantify the window of passage opportunity

in the baseline and post-change condition. A soft closure mechanism was installed

on the pointing doors and its impact on duration of closure event monitored using

timelapse cameras.

The poster presents the monitoring methodology and the results of the baseline and

post-change passage quantification work.

Understanding the uses of eDNA metabarcoding for quantifying fish biodiversity in

riverine systems, compared to traditional survey methods

Authors: Rupert Houghton, Jamie McCready Five Rivers

E-mail address of the corresponding author: jamie@five-rivers.com

Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques are rapidly becoming incorporated into the

ecologist’s toolbox and provide a cost effective solutions to data collection in a climate

63

where budgets for monitoring are under threat. However, there are still some

uncertainties over their reliability when used to assess fish communities in flowing

water. We compared the detection probability of electrofishing surveys and eDNA

water samples taken at seven locations from rivers and streams in southern England.

We sought to establish what factors might affect the performance of each method,

determined whether there was a relationship between fish abundance and the number

of sequence reads.

Trap and Transport of European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

Tom Grayling, Matt Hart

Five Rivers

E-mail address of the corresponding author: tom@five-rivers.com

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations have been exposed to many pressures

leading to national decline. The eel regulations (2009) are an important step in

improving resilience of this fascinating species. Our poster aims to present results of

a project being undertaken on behalf of Southern Water using an innovative approach

to increase silver eel escapement. Landlocked European eel population of two surface

water reservoirs (SWR) will be trapped and transported downstream to the bottom of

the catchment to allow them to complete their lifecycle. Poster will include presentation

of methodology and results.

Decongesting London: Improving River Connectivity for Fishes.

Angus J Lothian, Chris J. Gardner, Toby Hull, Daniel Griffiths, Eleanor R Dickenson,

Martyn C. Lucas

Dispersal of invasive signal crayfish in relation to personality traits. Shams Galib, Sean Twiss, Martyn C. Lucas

Fish assemblages and aquatic habitat response to removal of a tidal

weir (pre-intervention study).

Jingrui Sun, Shams Galib & Martyn C. Lucas

Egg drift and hatching success in European river lamprey. Is egg

deposition in gravel vital to spawning success?

Sergio Silva, Angela Gooderham, Mike Forty, Brian Morland and Martyn C. Lucas.

64

Trade Stands

RSK is a specialist environmental, health and safety consultancy delivering industry-

leading services and guidance to its customers. Our global headquarters is in the UK

and we have more than 1100 employees worldwide.

RSK’s commitment to environmental excellence and health and safety is shown in

our own certification to the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 international

standards for quality, environmental management and health and safety

management.

RSK’s Ecology Team carries out ecological surveys and assessments for a broad

range of habitats and species, and provides ecological advice for a wide variety of

needs. Our terrestrial and aquatic ecologists include recognised industry experts and

their combined knowledge and experience ensure that our services are of the

highest quality.

If you would like further information on the services that RSK provides or if you wish

to discuss a specific ecology issue or project please contact Dr Peter Walker via

email: pwalker@rsk.co.uk; or on the phone: 01869 336 827.

E-Fish specialise in the design and production of equipment to assist with

electrofishing, survey work and fisheries management

Innovative technology makes the difference.

HydroloxTM engineered polymer traveling water screens are changing the way

facilities think about intake screen performance. Proven to exclude debris and

reduce harm to aquatic life, these effective, longer-lasting solutions are easy to

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install, require virtually no maintenance, and address the needs of water- extracting

facilities across a wide range of industries.

We offer single-point-of-contact project management services to help eliminate

bottlenecks during screen installation. Our team supervises the entire process,

working with your preferred subcontractors and in-house crew (as needed)�to help

you minimize downtime while optimizing in-house resources, screen performance,

and screen life. This process can include initial site surveys to develop scope of

work; project meetings; and factory acceptance testing.

All Hydrolox screens are backed with industry-leading three-year or four-year

warranties (warranty terms determined by speci cs of screen, application, and

installation). In addition to comprehensive on-site support before, during, and after

installation, we also provide ongoing expert technical support and award- winning

customer service.

Aquatic Control Engineering Ltd (ACE), formed in September 1995, was established

to provide the latest Dutch Water Flow Control Innovations into the UK and Irish

marketplace. These products were manufactured at KWT, Holland using High Density

Polyethylene (HDPE), a plastic which is less expensive, more lightweight and robust

than common materials such as cast iron and timber. Today this material is a proven and widely adopted concept in water flow control

devices yet the reputation of ACE as the market innovator has remained. Investing

heavily into research, design and development ACE providing a holistic solution to

water flow control projects throughout the UK and have become market leaders in

this area. In addition ACE now represent a large product range including Bosman

Wind Pumps, Berkenheger, Habbig, WaStop Check Valves and ACE's own

Slide Flood Barriers as master distributors for the UK/Ireland.

For 2 decades business has been increasing and our team has grown to include an

established range of services from design, project management, early contractor

involvement, installation, commissioning and much much more.

Our large and loyal customer base rely on ACE for repeated high standards of

installation on time and to schedule.

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We supply high-specification marine instrumentation and submersible systems to

scientists and engineers, and we’ve been doing this since the 1980s.

We have some of our own products, like Wave Radar REX and the ORCA and HILO

acoustic recorders, but we also have a global network of partner companies who

design and manufacture cutting edge technologies for many, many different marine

applications.

All of our technical staff are marine scientists or instrument technicians by training,

which means we can provide advanced technical support, application advice and

lifetime product support to each and every one of our customers.

We offer extensive calibration and maintenance services, spare parts and

accessories. All of our sensors and equipment are supported by data processing,

data management and telemetry options as required, tailored to customer needs.

We only work with innovative and high-specification sensors, systems and

platforms. We work very hard to ensure that all of our equipment is easy to use, is of

the highest standards, and is fully supported by our team of technical specialists

here in the UK.

Our team of technical specialists will work with you to identify the most appropriate

solution for your requirement. If we can help you, we gladly will. If we can’t, then we’ll

let you know who can.

APEM is Europe’s leading independent environmental consultancy specialising in

freshwater and marine ecology and aerial surveys.

With headquarters in Manchester, we have over 120 staff in eight offices throughout

the UK, as well as offices in Germany and the US.

We have been offering our clients high quality scientific support for almost 30 years

and our scientists and technical experts are recognised leaders in their fields who

cover a diverse range of specialisms. Over 95 per cent of our staff are qualified to

degree level or above.

We are the UK’s leading provider of aquatic ecological services, offering

consultancy, laboratory services and field surveys for both freshwater and marine

environments in the UK and worldwide. Our clients include water companies, power

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companies, engineering consultancies, regulators, national and local government,

angling clubs and individuals.

APEM’s freshwater consultancy covers water monitoring, sampling and data

acquisition, resource evaluation and monitoring, fisheries monitoring and

consultancy, and water conservation and management.

Lotek is a world leader in the design and manufacture of fish and wildlife monitoring

systems. Our innovative and internationally recognized radio, acoustic, archival and

satellite monitoring solutions allow researchers to track animals, birds and fish of

almost any size, in almost any environment. Whether an animal moves through a

terrestrial, freshwater, marine or avian habitat, Lotek has a system to track it.

Leading researchers around the world rely on Lotek telemetry equipment and

expertise. We are proud to be partners in fish and wildlife research being conducted

in more than 100 countries - on every continent and in every ocean.

Our craft is biotelemetry technology; our passion is the environment. We are

committed to providing innovative solutions for a sustainable future. In addition to our

leading edge equipment, we also provide environmental consulting services to assist

clients with system selection, research design and implementation, equipment

training and data analysis.

Lotek was founded in 1984. We look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence

in the development of fish and wildlife monitoring systems for many years to come!

AECOM is a global network of experts working with clients, communities and

colleagues to develop and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most

complex challenges.

Delivering clean water and energy. Building iconic skyscrapers. Planning new cities.

Restoring damaged environments. Connecting people and economies with roads,

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bridges, tunnels and transit systems. Designing parks where children play. Helping

governments maintain stability and security.

We connect expertise across services, markets, and geographies to deliver

transformative outcomes. Worldwide, we design, build, finance, operate and manage

projects and programs that unlock opportunities, protect our environment and

improve people’s lives.

Imagine it. Delivered.

Kingcombe Stonbury are a specialist contractor in all aspects of water maintenance

and management including lake restoration, aquatic weed control, fisheries

management, river bank repairs and desilting.

Our teams of water specialists have the knowledge and experience to advise and

work on the restoration of existing water features, or the creation of new schemes.

We work with commercial and private clients all over the UK and abroad. In recent

years, our expertise in lake construction has seen us restoring and maintaining

historic Capability Brown landscapes and Royal Parks, local authority amenity lakes,

high profile river corridors and water features on prestigious business parks. We also

design and construct bespoke water features for discerning private clients.

We hold framework contracts with the Environment Agency for civil engineering and

maintenance works. We also carry out routine weed cutting and litter collection on

the canals around London and are employed by water companies to work on their

assets.

Kingcombe Stonbury is recognised as a centre of excellence for all aspects of water

maintenance, construction, restoration and management. Offering the most

comprehensive set of complimentary skills for projects involving water.

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Five Rivers Environmental Contracting Ltd. is a family owned Small / Medium Enterprise

(SME) based in Southern England.

Founded in 1994 Five Rivers provides specialist contracting, consultancy and ecological

services to a range of clients across the UK. We pride ourselves on providing a

professional, pragmatic and innovative service as well ensuring we get the best possible

environmental gains on each project.

We operate an Integrated Management System which is externally audited to ISO 9001,

ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. We also are part of the Achilles UVDB Verify scheme

and members of Contructionline. We also take part in the Considerate constructors

scheme.

We have a broad client base working on projects ranging from small domestic works to

large infrastructure schemes.

Our high levels of compliance ensures we easily fit into supply chains on large schemes

where specialist services are required.

BU Global Environmental Solutions (BUG) is a consulting arm of the Faculty of

Science and Technology at Bournemouth University, located within the Department

of Life and Environmental Sciences. We provide a unique blend of academic and

practical expertise to address global ecological issues; developing sustainable

solutions to support industry and regulators alike.

Our core staff are internationally recognised leaders in their respective fields of

research and, supported by a comprehensive laboratory and field monitoring

capability, we provide our clients with a ‘one-stop-shop’ for ecological monitoring and

scientific advisory services. Our holistic approach to ecosystem assessment covers

terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and coastal environments.

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Since 1986 VAKI has provided it´s customers with innovative products and delivered

high quality and value to its growing customer base. VAKI focuses on fish counting

and size estimation. The feature all our products have in common is that they offer

the user accurate information to facilitate planning and decision making. They also

raise the level of automation and contribute towards increased efficiency in both fish

farming and wild fish research.

Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, Inc. is the largest source of aquatic products and

systems worldwide. PAES offers solutions and expertise to improve growing

conditions in any environment from recirculating aquaculture systems to improving

water conditions in pens. As pioneers in the industry, we provide the best possible

solutions for aquaculture facilities, from hatcheries to grow-out and everything in

between.