LODDON FISHERIES AND CONSERVATION CONSULTATIVE THE STATE OF THE LODDON A REVIEW OF PROBLEMS AND IMPACTS 1 Contents WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE LODDON? ...................................................................................... 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Habitat degradation .............................................................................................................................. 6 Water Flows ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Floods ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Low flows / over abstraction ............................................................................................................ 9 Agriculture ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Pollution ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Sewage Treatment Works (STW) ................................................................................................... 10 Industrial pollution ......................................................................................................................... 11 Road run-off ................................................................................................................................... 11 Silt .................................................................................................................................................. 12 Plastics ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Temperature pollution .................................................................................................................... 12 Noise and vibration pollution ......................................................................................................... 12 Climate Change .................................................................................................................................. 12 General Flora and Fauna .................................................................................................................... 13 Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) ................................................................................................ 13 Predation ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Invertebrates / crayfish ................................................................................................................... 15 Avian Predators .............................................................................................................................. 16 Mammalian Predators .................................................................................................................... 17 Public Access ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Poaching ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Fishery Management .......................................................................................................................... 18 Fish species ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Barbel ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Chub ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Dace ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Dace ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Roach ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Gudgeon ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Perch............................................................................................................................................... 22 Pike................................................................................................................................................. 22 Brown trout .................................................................................................................................... 22 Eels ................................................................................................................................................. 22 The Rivers .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Blackwater ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Hart................................................................................................................................................. 24 Whitewater ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Lyde ................................................................................................................................................ 24 Upper Loddon ................................................................................................................................ 24 Bow Brook ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Barkham Brook .............................................................................................................................. 25 Emm Brook .................................................................................................................................... 25 Lower Loddon ................................................................................................................................ 25 Initiatives ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 26 References ...................................................................................................................................... 27 2 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ 28 3 WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE LODDON? These notes are an attempt to summarise factors that may be affecting the health of rivers in the Loddon catchment. It is recognised that there are a huge range of issues that can be an influence and many of these are by no means unique this catchment. It is also conceded that there are a wide range of views and opinions as to factors that are causing problems and the degree by which those issues are an influence. There are also limitations on the way that these problems can be addressed whilst the parties that have opportunities to effect improvements are themselves varied. The individual landowner will be basically influenced by his particular views and experiences, angling bodies will have the wishes of their members as the main driver to management, whilst the larger bodies in turn will be balancing their approach with even wider considerations. All will have limitations on actions exerted by the simple availability of resources. 4 Introduction Angling catches at least on the lower Loddon and the lower Blackwater appear to have crashed over the last 10 -15 years. But why? Whatever the issues we do not have a scientific control with which to compare the current situation. There are fewer, far fewer, 'coarse fish' anglers on the rivers than 15 to 20 years ago, but does this reflect poor fish stocks, an underlying change in the habits of many anglers (possibly both), or even simply less interest in angling? The popularity of carp fishing, often in prolifically stocked fisheries, has undoubtedly enticed many off the rivers, or better captured the attention of the younger angler. At the same time there has been a significant decline in interest for match angling, the remnants of which have also been drawn to the intensive still water fisheries. Some of these anglers cite the poor access to the actual water as a hindrance to their angling. There still remains however an interest in our rivers, from a 'hard core' who probably enjoy the different species and challenges of the more natural environment provided by flowing water.