Environment Agency officers will be releasing thousands of fish into the River Aire next week to boost stocks in the region’s rivers.
Around 2,000 grayling will be brought from the Environment Agency’s fish farm in Nottinghamshire and released into the Aire at Bingley and Silsden Bridge on Wednesday, 28th March.
The grayling, which are around a year old, will be brought to their new homes on a six-wheeled fish transporter.
Over recent years there have been improvements in the number of grayling in the upper River Aire from Skipton to Bingley, and officers hope the restocking will further improve grayling populations and help develop a sustainable population in the river.
Fisheries technical officer Richard Atkinson said: “Grayling is native to the River Aire and we want to see their numbers continue to increase in that part of the catchment. This river is the ideal place to release the fish and give a further boost to stocks of this important coarse fish.â€
The exercise is part of a three-year programme which targets rivers that would benefit most from restocking.
