Vampire Fish

The number of lampreys has dramatically increased due to conservation efforts to restore the quality of Britain’s waters.

16:59 23 May 2016

The number of lampreys, blood-sucking fish with permanently open mouth and rows of razor-sharp teeth has shot up in recent years following efforts to restore the quality of Britain’s waters.

 

Mark Owen, head of freshwater at the Angling Trust, said: “The fact they’re coming back indicates the water quality is improving, which is welcome for all fish species.

 

“There’s a policy now of having fish passes in man-made weirs, like a bypass channel for them to go through.”

 

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency confirmed that obstructions have been removed in over 12,500 miles of England’s river allowing different types of fish to get to breeding grounds further up river. A spokesman said:  “Almost 200 obstructions have been overcome - this means fish passes installed or weirs removed.

 

“Migration is important because many species of fish need to migrate to reproduce, feed and complete their life cycles.

 

“Weir removals and fish passes create ‘fish highways’ making a faster, easier route from the sea right up to the upper reaches of rivers.

 

“This work benefits coarse fish that spend their entire lives in the river, as well as the species that migrate between the river and the sea.”

 

Sarah Chare, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: “After considerable investment, rivers in England are the healthiest for 20 years.

 

“This is down to more than a decade of hard work to improve the health of England’s rivers.

 

“But there is more to do and opening up our rivers to help fish migrate is a crucial part of this.”