Fish rescue begins at Whitchurch following canal breach

Around 1,000 fish washed into a neighbouring farmer’s field have been rescued and safely returned to the canal.

The rescue

The pool of water in the field, which was up to six feet deep in places, was gradually drained to around knee hight to allow a specialist fish rescue team to begin the operation of catching the fish and safely returning them back into the canal. The fish include native species such as roach, perch, gudgeon, bream and ruffe.

Using specialist fisheries equipment, the rescue team temporarily stunned the fish by passing a low‑voltage direct electric current through the water. This is a safe and widely‑used fisheries management technique that temporarily immobilises the fish and allows them to be collected without harm. They were then carefully lifted into aerated buckets and transported back to the canal.

A key priority

John Ellis, our national fisheries and angling manager, said: “Fish welfare is a key priority for our charity, and we will take the utmost care when relocating the fish back to the canal. I’m expecting about 1,000 fish totalling around 200lb to be rescued. The fish appear to be in good health having temporarily been rehomed in a field of water for two months.

“The breach has had a real impact on people living and working on the canal and nearby, and this rescue is one small but important step in putting things back together.”

The investigation into the breach along with a plan for the repair is ongoing. Following the initial effort to make the area safe and recover the stranded boats, work has been continuing to secure site access that will be needed to undertake the repair to the canal embankment. This includes the ongoing creation of a site compound and access track.