FISH SEEK REFUGE IN FLOATING REEDBEDS

The reservoir at Barcombe Water Treatment Works is stocked with 5,000 Rainbow Trout each year and is run as a key fishery in South East England.

However, hungry Cormorants, known as Phalacrocorax carbo, are known to feed on the trout and deplete the stocks.

As an environmentally-aware company, South East Water did not want to follow the accepted and practised route of obtaining a licence to cull the birds.

Instead, six 'fish refuges' were installed on the reservoir where the fish could 'hide' from their predators.

The floating islands are created with native plant species and underneath house a wire cage about two cubic metres in which the trout can take refuge.

Tom Todd, Fishing Ranger at Barcombe, said: "South East Water prides itself on being an environmentally aware company so we didn't feel we could be selective about which wildlife and bird species make the reservoir their home.

"By introducing the fish refuges we are able to offer protection to the trout livestock without resorting to culling the Cormorants.

"Cormorants are naturally a sea bird but because food stocks are dwindling in the sea they have found their way inland to reservoirs which they see as a handy 'larder'."

An additional bonus of the reed beds is their ability to improve water quality in the reservoir as the plants feed on nutrients which in turn reduces the amount of algae blooms.

The number of Cormorants at the reservoir has risen to as many as 80 in past years.

Each bird eats about 1lb of fish a day which can lead to a massive 80lb of stock disappearing on a daily basis.

Early indications suggest the new fish refuges, supplied by Aquascience, in Bognor, are so far proving successful in harbouring vulnerable trout.

Mr Todd added: "We think we have found a good solution which not only keeps the anglers and South East Water happy, but also the trout and Cormorants!"