Wensum Fishery Recovery Plan Update

Following on from the agreement to focus on the reach between Swanton Morley Falls to North Elmhan Mill, which has shown in the past 4 years to be almost devoid of Roach. Indeed the EA survey undertaken in Oct only caught 4 roach.
The overall Fishery Recovery Plan lays out the milestones that needs to be met, before any form of restocking should place,
This update focuses on some of these steps and progress.
The restoration of the fry refuges previously installed in 2012 is one of the first steps

Landowner engagement.
Agreement has been reached with Dereham and District Angling Association for the restoration and subsequent annual maintenance of such habitats within their landholdings.
We are awaiting discussions for a similar agreement with Billingford Lakes, the other landowner involved.

Fish Stock
We have reached agreement for a 3 year program with Norfolk Flyfishers to take Roach from their Holkham Lake to restock the adjacent river.
This will be formally requested via a permit request in the coming months, subject to health checks.
There is history in that the EA wouldn’t grant such a permit request for whatever reason. Clearly we have reached a point, where this policy needs challenging as the evidence is very clear, that something needs to address the extreme low density of roach. Quite clearly the evidence is that under flood conditions, the river and lake become as one, so these roach can’t be defined as external to the river. Some images are below demonstrating this position in flood conditions.

This initiative is planned for 2024 and a stock transfer of 1000 roach for a period of 3 years, subject to EA approval/ It will also link to a monitoring plan, yet to be agreed.