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Impact of wels catfish on barbel populations

Paul Cahill

Senior Member
I've seen a picture this morning of a wels catfish from The Trent, the second one I've seen this season. Clearly these fish are getting something of a foothold in the Trent. Given the way these fish have colonised The Ebro over the last 30 years, and made pellets a huge part of their diet, does anyone with more fishery science knowledge than me have any opinions as to how this will pan out? I suppose the things to consider are do they recruit successfully in UK rivers? What sort of impact did they have on the carp population of The Ebro? And how are they getting in? Introductions or floods? Are they in any other UK river systems?
 
I'd imagine that as an apex predator they wouldn't do us any favours but then I'm not a scientist.

I know of a handful of big cats that occasionally get caught on the middle/lower Gt Ouse but wouldn't know if they've bred or escaped.
 
I've seen a picture this morning of a wels catfish from The Trent, the second one I've seen this season. Clearly these fish are getting something of a foothold in the Trent. Given the way these fish have colonised The Ebro over the last 30 years, and made pellets a huge part of their diet, does anyone with more fishery science knowledge than me have any opinions as to how this will pan out? I suppose the things to consider are do they recruit successfully in UK rivers? What sort of impact did they have on the carp population of The Ebro? And how are they getting in? Introductions or floods? Are they in any other UK river systems?

Again we are being a bit self serving don't you think by singling out Barbel as the only concern?
 
Again we are being a bit self serving don't you think by singling out Barbel as the only concern?

I'm not singling out barbel as the only concern as that would be stupid, particularly as I fish for all species.

I'm asking for the opinions of the impact on barbel stocks because this is a barbel forum, and also because on the river I've mentioned they are now the dominant species.
 
I saw one about 6 years ago on the Trent basking on the surface as long as a railway sleeper I couldn't believe my eyes. Here the odd story even a few kittens getting caught now, so they are definitely breeding. I believe some of the predator anglers are to blame for lots of illegal stocking and all will just have to wait and see now. Albeit a long one. Shame really if the get common in the future I hate the bloody things.
 
I'm not singling out barbel as the only concern as that would be stupid, particularly as I fish for all species.

I'm asking for the opinions of the impact on barbel stocks because this is a barbel forum, and also because on the river I've mentioned they are now the dominant species.

I appreciate that Paul, my local Warks Avon has had reports too of a big cat(s) coming out too, it's all a bit of a challenge at the moment as far as 'exotic' species that have seemingly entered our Rivers, but if in the worst case scenario and they do (Wells) become the dominant species, or as you say they already are, I guess we all can expect some pretty good bends on our rods.:)
 
I don't think they will have too much impact here as the British winter river temperatures are significantly lower than the Ebro. In that river they have noticeable reduced the carp (another introduced species) population which are now much bigger. We also have more active river predators here in pike, perch and zander who will make inroads into any cat fry. Above the Ebro dams the cats are fattened up on anglers pellets but in the lower reaches they are not but there are thousands of mullet for them to feast on.
A fairer test would be to enquire as to what impact they have had in the eastern European rivers where they originated
Certainly though the Ebro is not the anglers paradise that it was 15 years ago
 
Twenty years ago I was wondering how long before we found catfish in many of our major river catchments, given the popularity of the species in some quarters.
I'm surprised that we don't hear of more captures in Thames tributaries given that big catfish have been reported caught in the lower reaches of the river for yonks.
It's understandably difficult to access what long term impact they have on fragile river environments and is interesting to look at the continental rivers for a few pointers, taking into account that some have more favourable water temps. than our own rivers.
As I have been able to witness and observe the impact of an introduction of a few kittens into a three acre gravel pit that occurred on one of my club waters in 1992 / 3 , it has been interesting to note how things have panned out.
The English cats were stocked on the recommendation of the EA in order to rid the venue of Signal Crayfish that some idiot had released into the pit a few years before and had become intolerable .
The project is closely monitored by the club and authorities and seasonal nettings and electro fishing are undertaken to check on recruitment of all the residents.
The cats soon started to grow and breed with many 2 / 3 inch kittens showing, but at no time has the carp, bream or silver fish population shown any sign of depletion. The crays however disappeared within the first two years !
As many of the big cats in the pit are caught on pellet and boilies and not live baits, one would have to assume that they have a distinct preference .
So, besides the inherent risk of latching into a very large unwanted cat when carp fishing, there has been no discernible negative effect,... haven't noticed so many coots and mallards though !!
The criteria for the stocking was strict, with overflow , proximity to a watercourse etc all paramount considerations.
Cats are a species that we could do without in our rivers imo, but there have been times in past years when fishing cray infested stretches of the river Mole that I have wished that a few of them would swim upriver from mother Thames and fill their boots !! :rolleyes:
 
I hear they are good for keeping crayfish populations down. A gravel pit complex I fish has frays in every lake except the one with cats in
 
On a serious note, I have heard of cats being reported from the Loddon this season and in previous years on lower/middle reaches of the Kennet.
 
From what I have been told they are not monster sized but put an interesting bend in a Barbel fishers rod. The Loddon fish reported could be a repeat capture of the same fish.
 
I don't know how numbers compare to 20 or 30 years ago but there are still a hell of a lot of carp, zander and roach in the Ebro and its tributaries.
 
There are long term reports of at least one cat in the stretch of the Colne in Hertfordshire that I fish. It has been referred to as 'The Beast', and has reputedly smashed up a few barbel anglers. There are one or two vague reports of it/them being caught some time back, but nothing particularly reliable.

There are carp to at least mid twenties in there, and we know river carp fight like demons...and people do love their 'uncaught monster' stories...so who knows. What I do know is that if there are one or more cats in there, it/they sure as hell are having no effect on the level of crays in the river....it's ruddy paved with them :mad:

Cheers, Dave.
 
They're in the Yorkshire Ouse as well, this is an extract from the match results posted on Mar 2nd 2009 by Stan the president of Leeds ASA
"hi guys, this weeks match fished well again with kieth mitch winning with 12lbs 10oz from 285,pete hamilton was second with 9lbs 15oz 282,and big andy bradley 3rd with 9lbs 4oz 4th 267,and the reason for this mesage was john dunnhill with 7lbs 5oz from 220,john had some good roach on the pole but lost a double figure cat fish,he had it in his net twice but it sliped out ,archie was on his way from peg 219,with a bigger net when the hook pulled out ,shame as he would have won as he did saturdays match when he had 10lbs 2oz of roach from 282 ,
a few big fish have been lost in that area in recent weeks,another one yesterday in 227,it makes you wonder where they have come from,i wonder if they are from the same pond as all the little chub that have shown up over the last 3 or 4 weeks"
See
OUSE RESULT | Leeds & District ASA Forums
 
Dave.are you are talking about the Island section GX

The GX. lake one. Has been taken out and swopped for 8k worth of fish from the fish farmer.
Was 60lb.

If I had my way all catfish/zander/sturgeon/exotics ahould killed along with grey tree rats.



Graham
 
As with all these alien species scenarios [ catfish , zander , etc ] man is usually at the root of it , we just can't help ourselves . Don't forget it was man , and anglers at that, who were largely behind the spread of barbel in the UK . There are still Salmon anglers gnashing their teeth about that to this day .As for the effect of catfish on barbel or any other fish , yes they will effect them , they eat fish after all .Reading the Yorkshire Ouse match return from 2009 that Brian posted , I remember at the time the rumours that they had been introduced from a local commercial fishery , whatever the case I can assure you the Ouse is not over run with juvenile catfish , too blooming cold for them to breed I would think . There has however been a marked increase in carp in the Ouse system , whilst not exactly commonplace they do get caught regularly and there are now a few anglers who fish for them by design
 
I hooked something a few years ago on the Severn above Worcester which took 100 yards of 12 lb line charging upstream which i could just not stop... never saw it but speaking to the bailiff he spoke of a big 'cat' in the stretch. On the same day there were also salmon leaping, would like to have thought it was a huge Salmo but it wasn't.
 
I have heard of Cats in the Keenet and was told by a bailiff that a couple had been caught on the Basingstoke canal near Aldershot, so probably in the Wey as well.
 
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