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Buckfastleigh fish pass aims to stop fall in salmon population

Michael Davies BuckfastleighMichael Davies
The pass will slow the river to allow easier access to the spawning grounds of the River Dart

Salmon and sea trout have easier access to spawning grounds thanks to a new fish pass.

The Larinier pass at Buckfast Abbey in Devon replaces a former Victorian pool pass severely damaged in 2020 by storms.

The River Dart's salmon population is deemed at risk by the Environment Agency amid a dramatic fall in numbers over the past 40 years.

The pass has been built in time for the annual autumn salmon migration run.

It was part funded by an Environment Agency grant of nearly £100,000 and was opened and blessed by Abbot David Charlesworth.

fish blessing
The new fish pass was opened and blessed by Abbot David Charlesworth

Brett Morris, fisheries specialist with the Environment Agency, said: "Fish populations on the river Dart are currently considered to be at risk which means they are at a low level.

"So barriers to migration such as weirs are one of the key impacts to salmon and trout populations.

"By putting in a fish pass we enable fish to navigate the structure and access their upstream spawning grounds with minimal delay."

Michael Davies BuckfastleighMichael Davies
Numbers of salmon on the River Dart have plummeted over the last 40 years

In 1986, net and rod catches accounted for 2,500 salmon, which fell to 330 in the late 1980s and just 14 in 2019, according to the Environment Agency.

The new pass will help the passage of migratory fish up the River Dart to their natural spawning areas, helping to protect and increase the population of salmon on the river.

The pass has been designed to reduce the speed of water to help salmon and sea trout travel up river.

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