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A little light reading for the closed season...

D

Dan Whitelock

Senior Member
Not sure if this has been shared on here but just found the finished piece from the Bournemouth University Study on the Gt Ouse, not to be confused with the Karen Twine work from several years ago. This one is more focused on the gravels and spawning that was funded by the EA and Barbel Society.

http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/27994/1/PhD thesis_Tea Basic.pdf

It's heavy. Enjoy!

Oh and the first person to mention the 'O' word in the thread sticks a tenner into the BFW charity pot :D
 
It's a fascinating piece of work and a real eye opener, just goes to show the fragility and complicated factors involved.
 
At one level fascinating, at another very worrying...it seems to me far too much reliance on anglers bait as the main food source in a number of rivers and that the EA has no idea about the impact of restocking or the requirements of breeding grounds - i am not surprised. Thought the teasing out of the different niches occupied by barbel and chub was interesting. Overall, i am not sure the outcomes will result in any significant changes...
 
It's the part I read in chapter 8 about the concerns of stocking fish that could eradicate ecological diversity that worries me, I've been saying for a while that filling rivers up with the same strain of fish, some of which are known to be triploids, can't be good for the future. It's interesting that the majority of the work and research done however is the first of its kind, where it will lead to who knows. At least it's a start and has uncovered some answers to what is evidently an incredibly complex matter.
 
Have skimmed the report and when I have a week to spare will read it thoroughly! Some interesting concepts and findings but also some areas of concern particularly with regards to the same strains of stocked fish. The diet composition of fishmeal reliance is not really suprising, given that these are relatively small rivers, that the barbel are often known to frequent known areas and that these areas suffer high angling pressure. Future studies on "big" rivers e.g. the tidal Trent would, I suspect provide quite different diet composition with fishmeal pellets down the list. A great start and hopefully more studies to follow.
 
Regarding the barbel's diet, what a shock to the system for them when then close season comes along and they have to change their menu for three months!
 
If i recall properly they only surveyed fish in the summer because that was the "growth" period and that also there wasn't many anglers who fish during the winter period.
 
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