Important Multi-National Fish Migration Conference held in the North East
Important Multi-National Fish Migration Conference held in the North East
The Wear Rivers Trust has played a major role in the most significant conference on fish migration ever to be held in the North East. Held from the 13th to 15th of November the conference was the end event for a €6.4 million European project on restoring fish migration in the North Sea region of Europe. The Wear Rivers Trust and Tees Rivers Trust hosted day one of the conference with a bus tour of the River Wear, including visits to a number of their project sites.
Over 100 river and fisheries experts from Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Norway and the USA attended the Trust’s two field trips to various fish pass project sites. The field trips included visits to Chester le Street (Cong Burn rock ramp, Brecon Hill, Lumley Forge Mill fish pass) and Cornsay Colliery (Hedleyhope fish easement) as well as the Tees Barrage. Both staff and trustees were on hand to explain the projects to the delegates and, ensure no invasive weeds were spread and boot washing facilities were provided.
The delegates came from environmental charities, research organisations, government agencies and local authorities. As the Tyne is England’s most recovered salmon river, Gateshead was the ideal location for the conference, with Tyne Rivers Trust acting as overall hosts, showcasing the progress made by all of the North of England Rivers Trusts.
As a member of the umbrella body The Rivers Trust, the conference provided a platform for the Wear Rivers Trust to discuss and display the works and projects completed since the Trust’s inception in 2008 and hear feedback from industry experts. Steve Hudson, Project Officer of the Wear Rivers Trust explained further;
“To be a part of this conference was a great honour for the Wear Rivers Trust. It proved that although we may be a small organisation we have made big strides in enhancing our river and its tributaries with the support of local communities. The conference was organised to bring together project partners, rivers trusts, consultancies and other fisheries based industries to share ideas and develop working relationships for future projects and will stand the Wear Rivers Trust in good stead for the future.”
“We also used this as an opportunity to launch the Wear Rivers Trust’s new logo and publicity materials, which will help strengthen our identity within the Wear catchment”.
A drinks reception for Trust volunteers and guests was held at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, where the conference continued for a further two days.
For more information about the Wear Rivers Trust, contact 01388 488 867 or visit the newly developed website www.wear-rivers-trust.org.uk.
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Media Contact: Barbara Huddart
T: 01668 283 044
