The Environment Agency has released 8,000 young fish to give fish stocks a boost in north east rivers.

The chub and dace were released on Thursday, 9 November into the River Tees at Low Coniscliffe and River Wear at Maiden Castle.

It’s part of the Environment Agency’s ongoing plan to develop and restore rivers in the region, targeting those which have been affected by pollution or where barriers affect fish passage.

Fisheries experts will release a total of 30,000 fish over the next two weeks in rivers and Stillwater fisheries in the north east. As well as the Tees and Wear, fish will be released into the Skerne near Darlington and the Team at Gateshead.

The fish – chub, dace, roach, bream, tench, rudd and crucian carp – were all reared at the Environment Agency’s fish farm near Calverton, Nottinghamshire, using funding from rod licence sales.

Commitment to anglers

Alice Fitch, Fisheries Team leader for the Environment Agency in the north east, said: “We are pleased that we can provide these fish for stocking as part of our commitment to rod licence paying anglers. Restoration and the creation of new fisheries for all people to enjoy is a very important aspect of our work.”

The Environment Agency releases fish into our waterways annually. Fisheries officers target fish stocking activity using data from national fish surveys to identify where there are problems with poor breeding and survival. Releasing fish helps the process of natural recovery in waters which have been impacted by pollution or suffered poor water quality.

Alice added: “Restocking is one of many things we do together with our partners to develop fisheries, including reducing the effects of pollution, improving habitat and removing barriers to fish migration.”

Fisheries officer Paul Frear releases dace into the River Wear.

Improved water quality

Many of our industrialised rivers have improved dramatically in water quality in the last 30 years and targeted and appropriate restocking has helped the restoration of natural fish stocks and viable fisheries.

Angling is a great way for everyone to keep healthy and enjoy the natural environment. All rod licence income is used to find work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries.

Fish stocks boost for north east rivers

The price control decision relates to the licence that electricity grid operator SONI Limited (SONI) has to operate the grid, which transfers electricity from generators to local supply networks in Northern Ireland (NI) and onwards to businesses and consumers.

This appeal focuses on changes to the licence’s price control formula, which affects the income SONI can receive for its activities over the 5-year period from October 2015 to September 2020.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) granted permission to SONI to appeal on 3 overall grounds, in turn divided into ‘sub grounds’ and specific ‘errors’, against the UR’s decision to modify its licence.

The CMA has upheld the appeal in part. It found, in particular, that some of the UR’s decisions have made it difficult for SONI to obtain the finance it requires to continue with its crucial role ensuring the reliable supply of electricity in NI. The CMA also found errors in other areas, such as pension provision for SONI’s employees, and dismissed some other aspects of the appeal.

The CMA is now requiring the UR to amend SONI’s licence to address the areas where the appeal was successful. In the other areas, the UR’s decisions remain in place.

The summary of the final determination is available on the case page, where other information relating to this appeal can be found. The final determination will also be published shortly.

Notes for editors

1. SONI is the electricity Transmission Systems Operator (TSO) for NI, operating the grid which transfers electricity from generators to local supply networks.
2. The UR is responsible for regulating the electricity industry in NI and for licensing electricity suppliers, generators and transmission and distribution companies.
3. The UR published its Price Control Decision on 14 March 2017. The Price Control Decision was intended to give effect to the arrangements determined by the UR in respect of the 2015–2020 price control for the SONI TSO business (the Price Control), as set out in the UR’s Final Determination, published on 24 February 2016.
4. An energy licence holder may appeal to the CMA against a decision by the UR to amend the conditions of its licence. The CMA must decide whether the appellant has demonstrated that the UR’s decision was wrong on one or more of the grounds set out in its notice of appeal.
5. The CMA’s group of panel members determining the appeal (the Group) has been: Martin Cave (Chair), Katherine Holmes and Jon Stern.
6. The Group received and considered submissions from the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland in addition to those from SONI and the UR.
7. The appeal has been conducted according to the CMA’s published rules and guidance for energy licence modification appeals.
8. There were 3 grounds of appeal:

• Ground 1 (financeability methodology) concerned the ability of SONI to obtain finance for its regulated activities, and to obtain a return consistent with the risks faced by SONI under the price control. We found that SONI was not allowed sufficient return in the price control to compensate it for the risks it faced.

• Ground 2 (revenue uncertainty) concerned the approach to uncertainty. We upheld the appeal to the extent that the mechanism through which SONI would recover its costs of Pre-Construction Network Projects was insufficiently specified and codified. We also found that the mechanism for dealing with uncertain costs as presently specified resulted in significant uncertainties for SONI so that it was difficult for SONI to obtain the finance that it needed to carry out its functions. We dismissed the appeal on the 5 other errors alleged under this ground.

• Ground 3 (inadequate allowances) concerned the amount of money allowed to SONI for certain activities. We found that the price control failed to provide sufficient allowance to cover pension costs, or to cover certain information systems capital expenditure. We dismissed the appeal on 2 other alleged errors.

The scheme has seen the construction of 2 ponds which catch and store water that could otherwise flood properties, businesses and roads in the town. One pond is on the Sytche Brook to the north west of the town and the other is on the Shylte Brook to the south west.

The ponds, which will usually be empty, will fill during times of heavy rain. The collected water will then be released in a controlled manner so that flood risk downstream is reduced. The ponds, which are now fully operational, will drain down sufficiently quickly so that repeat rainfall events can be stored in a similar manner.

The scheme also includes the restoration of Westwood Quarry on Stretton Road.

The flood scheme was supported by the Environment Agency and funded through Flood Defence Grant in Aid by the Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, local developer contributions and Shropshire Council. Work was carried out by the contractor Griffiths.

Dave Edwards, Senior Adviser at the Environment Agency, said:

The Much Wenlock flood alleviation scheme is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through partnership working. Much Wenlock has a long history of flooding so it’s great to see the finished project protecting properties, businesses and roads in the town. We’ll continue to work closely with both the council and the community in the future.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

I’m delighted that work on this important scheme has now been completed, and that dozens of homes and businesses in Much Wenlock are now at far less risk from flooding than they have been in the past.

Between 2015 to 2021, Government is investing £2.5 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management projects which will reduce the risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, groundwater and surface water for at least 300,000 homes.