The Environment Agency (EA) has been using poison to clear fishing lakes of an invasive fish species in Devon.
The EA investigated the fish populations at the Clawford Vineyard Fishery, Devon after they received ports that the fishery was advertising the potentially invasive Fathead or Rosy red minnow (Pimephales promelas) as resident within the lake.
A team were sent in to investigate, but instead of the minnow discovered a population of Topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) another invasive fish species, native to Asia and classified as a non-native species of 'high' risk under the Import of Live Fish Act 1980 (ILFA).
As a result of this unwelcome discovery it was decided that the fisheries' larger, native fish would be removed and held in quarantine, while the alien invaders would be eradicated with an organic piscicide to prevent their accidental escape or transfer to the nearby river Claw, a tributary of the river Tamar.
"The operation at Clawford Vineyard Fishery is part of a wider National programme to eradicate a range of high risk invasive non-native fish species, including the Topmouth gudgeon," said Matt Brazier, Non-native Species Technical Advisor for the Environment Agency.
"Invasive non-native fish species represent a serious threat to our native flora and fauna and where required the Agency will take appropriate action, to regulate, manage, contain and if necessary eradicate them from our waters."
The work is being carried out on behalf of DEFRA, who are also funding the operation and is being enforced as part of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (SAFFA) and the Import of Live Fish Act 1980 (ILFA) which regulate the movement and keeping of fish.
The piscicide will disperse naturally after about three weeks and the EA will continue to work closely with the fishery owners to ensure the safe return of the native fish stocks to the 17 ponds at the site so that business can resume as soon as possible. Investigations are continuing as to how the fish came to be living in the fishery.
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