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Fishery Management Overview

To some members, the work of the fisheries management team is something that goes on around them, sometimes to their annoyance or inconvenience, but never directly involving them. This is their choice, and that's fair enough. Should they also choose to have no interest in what we are doing, and why, that also is fair enough. But some of you reading this may be interested but unable to attend work parties, or maybe you're considering membership for the first time, and would like an overview of our fishery management work. This article is for you.

Our aims are quite simple. To provide for our members, quality fishing in quality surroundings, in a safe and peaceful environment. This work is expensive, time consuming and absolutely never ending, but we are winning. The current fishery management team (which is incidentally, the best I've ever worked with) are now working on projects, which only a few years ago would not have seemed possible, there are many reasons for this.

I have worked under 6 different fishery managers over the years, and all of them were frustrated at not being able to implement the policy's and projects that are now ongoing, and more. We either didn't have the manpower, the finance, or the tools, and one isn't much use without the others. Indeed, I can remember turning up for work parties with only four or five others, and only three spades between us. Even so, improvements were made through the years with people like Martin Pritchett, Colin Pell-Walpole and Lenny Leroux having done some outstanding work for the club. Indeed, it is mostly their ideas that are being carried forward today. We are only able to carry them forward because of some radical decisions made at committee level that set in motion a cyclical chain of events that has positively affected our fishery management capabilities.

Firstly, it was decided to scrap the identity card, secondly, the time awarded to work party qualifiers only, fishing at Poppy Hill at the start of the season was increased from 7 days to 16. These decisions brought in more members, which brought in more money, which allowed the committee to release more money to the FMC. This allowed us to start buying tools and plant, or hire plant to make the work easier, and has improved the site vastly, and quickly, and has brought in yet more members and more volunteers. And so it goes on.

So where are we today? Let me now tell you what the main ongoing projects of your FMC are at present.

Site Enhancements.
In the last year alone, 1400 trees, shrubs and assorted plants have been planted at Poppy Hill. We have planted into the lakes nearly 100 assorted lily rhizomes, with 100s more planned for planting in the next couple of years.

Footpath Improvements.
In the past two years we have dug up and re-laid many of our footpaths around the lakes. This has afforded much easier access to our swims for trolleys and wheelchairs. (There are two, disabled swims on our lakes.) This project is ongoing until all footpaths are re-laid.

Swim Improvements.
It is our intention to completely rebuild all of our swims at Poppy Hill over the next two years. 50 will be dismantled and rebuilt this spring alone. They will be both spacious and comfortable with wood chipping underfoot to help prevent against slipping.

Fish Stocking.
At present we invest around £7000 per year on fish stocking. This investment is now being enhanced with the creation of our own "nurseries" these, added to our own self recruitment and stock protection policy's, keep our stock levels very high.

Cormorant Predation
Our first job at the end of each season is to erect fish refuges in the lakes. These are addition to the permanent refuges. Ropes are also strung across the lakes. This is a time consuming job but one that has to be done to help protect our fish. We recently purchased a Scatterbird MK2 gas gun which is scaring the Cormorants away. It also frightens the life out of us when it goes off and we are close by! We have now implemented every possible device to protect our fish from these ravenous birds as directed by the Government sponsored Moran Committee report on Cormorant predation.

As you can see, we are a very busy team, and the word "team" is spot on. Without the other lads I would probably be as frustrated as past fishery managers.

And of course, none of this is possible without those precious volunteers. I thank every one of them.
Should you wish to help us with our work at a work party (free refreshments provided) details can be found here.

Jim Cox.

Fishery Manager.
July 2004