Environment Agency News Release

Fishery experts, fish farmers and fisheries managers from across England and Wales have been meeting with Environment Agency fisheries scientists, as part of a review into how the native wild brown trout population can be protected, whilst continuing to stock rivers with farmed fish to meet the needs of anglers, angling clubs and fisheries owners. Now, your views as anglers are needed!

Stocking trout is a widely practised and legitimate fishery management tool, and many successful fisheries are regularly stocked to maintain catches, thereby supporting fishery value and benefits for the local economy.

About one million brown trout are released into rivers and lakes every year in England and Wales. Most farmed fish have been subject to long term domestication and are bred for an attractive appearance and rapid growth rates, but are not necessarily well suited to survival in the wild. However, when released into rivers some of these trout will breed with wild stocks, potentially reducing the viability of the population as a whole.

The Environment Agency has a responsibility to make sure the right policies are in place to allow wild trout stocks and the fisheries they support to thrive well into the future, particularly given the predicted changes to our climate. It is analysing the most up-to-date research and listening to leading experts in trout fisheries management to decide whether or not the current stocking policy needs changing.

The strategy covered a wide range of topics, including water quality, habitat improvement and exploitation; but the most talked about has been the interim policy designed to protect wild brown and sea trout populations from the adverse effects of stocking with domesticated farm reared trout. This policy currently limits the stocking of fertile brown trout and promotes the use of all female sterile brown trout as an alternative. A further option is to use the progeny of locally sourced wild broodstock; although we recognise that this option can be difficult in practice.

Sterile rainbow trout have been a regular feature on our still water game fisheries for a number of years. More recently, the use of sterile female brown trout has gained considerable favour with fish farmers and fishery managers, even on sites where there has been no mandatory requirement.

The rapidly evolving field of genetics has given us a better understanding of the impacts on wild trout fitness from exposure to domesticated farm reared strains. What do we mean by ‘fitness’? Well in a nutshell – the ability of the trout to thrive and reproduce successfully. A loss of genetic variability in wild stocks can be caused when there is widespread interbreeding with fertile farm reared strains. This genetic impact can lead to a range of problems, including for example a reduction in survival of offspring as well as reduced sea survival for sea trout populations. In recent years there has been considerable concern expressed over the impacts on wild salmon stocks from the escape of cage-reared salmon. Exactly the same concerns apply to wild trout stocks, yet we still actively stock fertile farm reared brown trout.

In this debate, we must not forget there are many trout rivers, including some chalk streams, where stocking is a prerequisite in sustaining economically viable fisheries. We fully support the fishery owners and angling clubs in their practice of stocking these fisheries and understand why there is a need. This should not distract us, however, from our desire to also protect wild stocks. Our recommendations reinforce the message that this strategy is, above all else, pro trout and pro trout fishing.

We recognise that there is still some disquiet from those with less experience of using and fishing for sterile stock fish. We understand that some people are anxious about ‘genetic modification’ with regard to triploid trout. Triploid trout can occur naturally, albeit rarely in the wild. Triploid trout only differ from diploid trout in that they have three sets of trout chromosomes per cell rather than two as in the case of diploids. Several different types of fruit and vegetables are triploids and have been widely grown and consumed by all of us for many years.

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We are also aware that there are some cost implications for both producers and buyers and adequate time is required for the trout farming industry to fully prepare for the likely increase in demand. We do believe, however, that our wild brown and sea trout populations are a priceless component of our natural heritage and angling for these fish supports rural economies and needs protection.

It is now decision time. The consensus from the experts is that our wild trout stocks need further protection and must be as fit as possible to ensure long term survival, particularly in light of the threats posed by climate change. We now propose that all future brown trout stocking, with the exception of that in totally enclosed waters with no natural trout production, is restricted to non-fertile fish or fish that have been derived from local wild broodstock. To move towards this position we are proposing two options:

Option 1 proposes mandatory implementation in the medium term (up to 5 years).
Option 2 proposes monitored voluntary implementation in the longer term (over 10 years) switching to a mandatory approach if necessary.

If you are a trout angler we would like to hear your views.

We hope that you will support our proposed position on the wide use of non-fertile trout for stocking and will welcome your views on the way in which we should introduce the new policy and on any other related matters. We recognise that many people want to feel that they can protect and improve our trout fisheries. You may wish to suggest ways in which we, the Environment Agency, can offer further support alongside these measures to improve the benefits from stocking.

Please send us you comments by 30th November 2007, including the name of the river you predominately fish. You can contact us at trout.stocking.review@environment-agency.gov.uk. Or you can write to Dr Brian Shields, Trout Stocking Review, Environment Agency, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Latchford, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 1HT. You can also telephone us on 08708 506506 and ask for an information pack.

We will be unable to respond individually to all responses but we will carefully consider and take into account all submissions. We will publish the results of the consultation and our future policy on the Environment Agency’s web site and via a press release in early 2008.

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