On the River Severn, one of the UK’s rarest fish has a chance to return to its historic spawning grounds.

Twaite shad

Twaite shad (Alosa fallax), a member of the herring family, was once abundant in British rivers, with thousands of fish spawning upstream in the spring.

Overfishing, deforestation, habitat loss and obstruction of migration routes have all contributed to the population decline. Hybridization between species is more common in species that have been disturbed by humans. The estuarine period, or the time they spend in estuaries swimming from spawning grounds to the sea, is expected to last up to a year and a half in A. fallax. The specific heterogeneity and the survival of juveniles in the estuarine phase are not taken into account in the calculation.

Restoration of its breeding grounds

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

By building routes through numerous weirs, a restoration program attempts to open the river to fishing.

The catering should help various animals including salmon, lamprey and eels.

The twaite shad could return to stretches of the river north of Worcester this month.

Volunteers are required to listen to the characteristic splashing noises of fish when spawning at night.

Canal & River Trust Program Director Jason Leach said: “Giving nature a chance to heal is never too late.

“Our project’s riverside night spawning vigils are an appropriate way to begin documenting the survival of fish that were so badly injured when our ancestors unwittingly built the weirs causing a major problem for the fish. migratory.

Related article: Next extinction target: the world’s freshwater fish

Conservation efforts

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

In Ireland, four special protected areas have been designated where Alosa species breed. Twaite is listed in Appendix III of the Bern Convention (1979), which lists endangered species of fauna, and in Appendices II and V of the Habitats Directive of the European Community (1992), which list the species whose protection requires the creation of conservation areas and particular species subject to management stages, respectively.

“We hope that a large number of volunteers will be motivated to join us in seeing and recording the spring shad spawning phenomena.”

Continuous efforts

The key to success The Canal & River Trust, the Severn Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and Natural England are working together on the Severn Initiative to reopen 241 kilometers of the river to fishing.

At Diglis and Bevere, near Worcester, two specially constructed passages along the Victorian-era weirs were completed.

Walls such as spillways, bridges, hydroelectric systems and culverts have fragmented 99% of UK waterways, according to a report from Swansea University.

Migrating fish fail to complete their journey to multiply and find food due to the high number of barriers.

“Imagine a fish that is 10cm long and a barrier less than 50cm wide would prevent this fish from moving up and down the river to various habitats where it could eat or spawn,” said researcher Joshua Jones.

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