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Indigenous Species in southern rivers - barbel

Ian Timms

Ian Timms

Active Member
Hi All,

I’m after some info that some of you good guys may be able to provide.

Does anyone know whether any of our southern rivers hold barbel that were indigenous? Any advice/help gratefully received.

Many thanks,


Ian
 
The best book I've read on the subject is 'A can of Worms - The Story of Barbel and the Men Who Fished for Them' by Jon Berry. There is an extensive account of the natural history of barbel in the British Isles.

In short, barbel are native only believed to be indigenous to the Thames & Ouse systems in the south of England.

 
Interesting subject.
It's widely bandied about that the EA won't allow stocking of Barbel into non indigenous rivers.
I'm pretty sure the Dorset Stour has had a few, which by the above criteria shouldn't have been allowed, or maybe there are exceptional circumstances?
 
Hi Ben,
Yes am also aware of this EA response in the past, but not too sure whether this is still the case as per now? There are clearly some exceptional circumstances (I.e. fish kill etc…that would allow barbel restocking into a non- indigenous river, but as you say how does that sit with recent restockings into (what I believe to be) non-indigenous rivers such as the Bristol Avon, Dorset Stour and even the Severn? ( please correct me if I’m wrong guys). I really have no idea😂 Is it safe to assume the EA position regarding non-indigenous re-stockings of barbel into rivers may have mellowed a tad in recent years as there seems to be a fair few barbel restocking programmes being carried out in a number of rivers up and down the country in recent years?
 
Ben Marr said:
Interesting subject.
It's widely bandied about that the EA won't allow stocking of Barbel into non indigenous rivers.
I'm pretty sure the Dorset Stour has had a few, which by the above criteria shouldn't have been allowed, or maybe there are exceptional circumstances?
Click to expand...
I gather that can be an issue on some rivers notified as SSSIs, I could be wrong, but I think there has been an issue with this on The Wensum.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
I gather that can be an issue on some rivers notified as SSSIs, I could be wrong, but I think there has been an issue with this on The Wensum.
Click to expand...
Well I reckon the only way the Teme (being an SSSI) will get any 'new' barbel swimming in it are from the small amount of small fish stocked over the last few years into the Severn between Bewdley and Shrewsbury. They'd have to migrate downstream to below Worcester though, then enter the Teme below Powick....then take their chances. But, barbel do 'roam'.
P.S.. I think all Teme barbel came upstream from the Severn. I've no knowledge of the Teme ever been stocked with anything (that's a fish).
 
The EA have stocked small barbel into the Tees tributaries (Skerne and Clow Beck) several times over the last ten years or so. In a similar time frame, I've been told that they refused to stock the Swale and refused to allow riparian owners to stock commercially sourced fish. A few years back, they finally allowed such stocking below Topcliffe and the EA stocked some small Calverton fish into the upper reaches of the river. I've caught a few overgrown gudgeon in the upper river myself.

250722 Swale Barbel in hand Crop.jpg
 
The EA say that only rivers that flow from West to East have indigenous barbel in. They used to say that they wouldn't stock barbel into other rivers but this argument isn't used now. They have stocked barbel into rivers all over the country but still have the policy that they only stock if fish kill, after habitat work or as a trial. The latter is how we have been able to stock Throop for the last few years.
 
Terry Simner said:
Well I reckon the only way the Teme (being an SSSI) will get any 'new' barbel swimming in it are from the small amount of small fish stocked over the last few years into the Severn between Bewdley and Shrewsbury. They'd have to migrate downstream to below Worcester though, then enter the Teme below Powick....then take their chances. But, barbel do 'roam'.
P.S.. I think all Teme barbel came upstream from the Severn. I've no knowledge of the Teme ever been stocked with anything (that's a fish).
Click to expand...
I have spoken with local old boys who recall thousands of Barbel that used to be visible at the confluence to the Teme around Powick. Given all the barriers they had to negotiate downstream that was remarkable. But all the talk and effort is around the Shad demise, but you would think that this would benefit other species too hopefully.
But rarely do Barbel get mentioned for some reason they don't have appeal to both the CRT and EA, but this is so typical when Otters are the poster boys.
We all know the general ignorance of those people who don't fish regarding fish species which I am afraid also seems to be the case within the EA and CRT.
Barbel are extraordinary and mysterious they are the great travellers are beautifully adapted and deserve better, but as long as we are governed by those who don't care about such, and would bet never fished as kids, or even walked a river bank things will never change.
But it's just not fish, it's all other wildlife we are losing at a fast rate.
The demise of our rivers has been alarming in just the last five years or so.
Heartbreaking.
 
Phil Nixon said:
The EA say that only rivers that flow from West to East have indigenous barbel in. They used to say that they wouldn't stock barbel into other rivers but this argument isn't used now. They have stocked barbel into rivers all over the country but still have the policy that they only stock if fish kill, after habitat work or as a trial. The latter is how we have been able to stock Throop for the last few years.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info Phil, most useful👍
 
This was from a "Lower Dorset Stour" presentation I was due to give just as Covid restrictions were first put in place.

Variations on the theme exist but Peter Wheat did a lot of research into the subject. The top of the tidal around the Iford Bridges was my playground in the late 1950's and where I learned to swim, row a boat and fished with my uncles!
 

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