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Burbot are coming back.

Somewhere, either in this life or with Hades, Hugo will be smiling.
I’d almost forgotten about him. Such is the pace of life it seems like an age ago when he was posting those rather abstract but amusing posts about the burbot in the river Pinn.

I wonder whatever happened to him.
 
Without wishing to be “that guy” and I genuinely welcome the reintroduction, should we not concern ourselves with fixing the fish tank before throwing more fish in it?

I understand this argument, same is said about many other reintroduced species and you're right. However, it can be used as another excuse, if you will, for maintaining and improving said fish tank in the future.
The more rare or endangered species that need protection the better.
 
It is a strange situation in that burbot are declining in many areas and some put it down to global warming. Yet in the medieval period it was as warm as today's temperatures and burbot thrived in the eastern side of England so much so that they fed them to pigs in the East Anglian area. In the early 20th century thry featured regularly in the Fishing Gazette catch reports particularly in the Yorkshire Ouse system.

Before putting them back I agree with the sentiments aired by others in that we need to know firstly would they survive and secondly how would they affect other species. It isn't that long ago that someone imported burbot from Eastern Europe intending to re-stock the Trent, a former burbot stronghold, but the River Authority refused to allow the release to take place because an authority on these matters had ruled that until they addressed the issue of why they had declined, it was foolish to re-introduce them.

One of the many strange things about burbot is that they were not found in the Thames which was at one time part of the Humber and Rhine river systems all of which held them.
 
As I'm local, Hugo's nurse got in touch to remind me to view the secret Burbot spawning location that Hugo revealed to me and swore me to secrecy about, as this is about spawning time.
Indeed, they're frolicking in the moonlight nightly and the neighbours are questioning the noise. Only a few days to go and the next generation of Burbot are on their way.
 
There’s still a lot of work ahead, but it’s very exciting,” said the trust’s Technical Director, Dr Jonah Tosney. “Habitat assessments are ongoing, but we’re looking at sites including the River Wissey and Great Ouse catchment.

This is the culmination of more than a decade of work, with University College London and Southampton University involved. “There’ll be lots of studies and discussion with Natural England. Obviously it will take time in the first decade until numbers get established"


Seems to me that they've put quite a of thought into already, not sure what more navel gazing will achieve. Let them get on with it, good luck to them I say.
 
Might have to be a ugly stick if they start to grow as large as their sea brothers and sisters from another mother the Ling .
 
Almost certainly a snakehead, I'm no expert, but I reckon the Shropshire union canal wouldn't be the first place they started to reappear.
 
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