Under-pressure fish given new plaices to hide

Anglers said a fish habitat project at a lake seemed to have been a success

A £22,000 project aimed at helping fish to thrive in a lake seems to have succeeded, anglers say.

The Environment Agency put money into the habitat improvement project at Gunwade Lake in Ferry Meadows, Peterborough.

Officials said the aim was to create hiding places to help fish escape from otters.

A local fishing club chairman said initial signs were that the project had succeeded.

Rob Harris, chairman of the Peterborough & District Angling Association, said work had been carried out in the lake, which measures about 50 acres, in 2023.

He said the Environment Agency had contributed about £7,000, and anglers and the Nene Park Trust - a charity which manages the area - had chipped in.

"The aim was to improve the habitat for the fish and the initial indications are that it has been successful," he said.

"We can't really monitor underwater in the summer because there's too much vegetation, but we will monitor with sonar in the winter."

The Environment Agency put money into a habitat improvement project at Gunwade Lake

The Environment Agency painted a similar picture.

"Its main objective was to mitigate the increased pressure on fish populations by creating a variety of enhanced fish refuge habitats within Gunwade Lake," said the agency in a statement.

"Surveys revealed that otters were targeting the limited fish-holding areas, significantly depleting fish populations.

"The project effectively expanded the range of fish habitats in the lake, creating additional safe hiding places.

"The initial reports from Nene Park Trust and the angling club indicate clear evidence of fish using these new habitats.

"Underwater monitoring will also be conducted later this year to show how these multiple habitat installations can benefit fisheries."

The project aimed to create hiding places to help fish escape from otters

Angling club members have explained, in a website post, how lakes at Ferry Meadows are "nationally famed" for bream fishing.

"The park officially opened in 1978 as part of the masterplan for the expansion of Peterborough, and angling has featured heavily since this time," said the post.

"As well as bream, the lakes hold a good head of silverfish, tench, pike, zander and specimen carp."