“An Excellent day for the Wensum”

Norfolk Anglers Conservation (NACA) and the Wensum fisheries action plan group (WFAPG) are extremely pleased to announce that the long-awaited stocking of barbel into the river Wensum has taken place. On Dec 15^th 2009 a total of 850 fish were stocked into the four major barbel fisheries on the river: Costessey Point received 250 young barbel and the remainder were split equally between fisheries at Lyng, Lenwade and Taverham Mills, this is the first introduction of barbel into the river for nine years and is the culmination of many years hard work and negotiations by members of both organisations.

This two tier project which has required careful negotiation is the result of an agreement reached by NACA, the Wensum Fisheries Action Plan committee the Environment Agency and Natural England.

The stocking at Costessey was agreed two years ago by NACA officials after its ground breaking habitat restoration project on the river was compromised, and two to three years of successful spawning were lost, the impact this had on the restoration project was clear to see and a huge disappointment for all involved with the restoration program. However NACA determined not to let the project fail on this once historic barbel fishery, applied for mitigation stocking of barbel on the basis of the socio-economic need to support the fishery, and the loss of the breeding habitat during this period, also with the habitat work planned to be completed in early 2008 to remedy the problems with the riffles, a compelling report was produced.

However the long running debate as to whether barbel are indigenous to the river Wensum looked likely to halt any further stocking of barbel into the river Wensum for good.

Negotiations began with the environment agency and Natural England and our special thanks go to David Batten acting as a representative for NACA who led these early negotiations, a final meeting took place in April 2008 which secured the introduction of 250 two year + fish to the Costessey fishery plus NACA’s commitment and support to the River Wensum Restoration Strategy. This agreement was a significant step forward in cementing a working partnership with the Environment agency one in which we have been able to develop over the subsequent months. The boost to the Costessey fishery and its members was evident with member interest growing and a healthy waiting list for the fishery.

The original stocking proposal was to introduce 1000 fingerling barbel into the river as had been done on the previous occasions when barbel stocking had commonly been allowed, however it was felt on this occasion with the importance of these fish being recognised and that barbel introductions in the future would be readily contested that to give the fish the best chance of survival in the early months after introduction that larger fish would be the way to go, and with a spring stocking to see out the winter floods, all was considered to be underway to give this extremely important and hard won introduction the best possible chance to guarantee the future of barbel in the Wensum and to improve the all round ecology of the Wensum valley.