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Boosting fish to boost kids’ interest

We’ve been adding fish to the Sunningwell Lake in Oxford – not only to provide better fishing there, but also to get more local children hooked on the sport.

Working with the Littlemore Angling Society and the ‘Careful Anglers Respect Ecology’ Angling Club, our fisheries officers have now helped move over 2,000 small perch and rudd¬ from Marsworth Moat into Sunningwell Lake. The project is designed to improve fishing on the water, both for Littlemore Angling Society and local youth groups.

Fisheries officer, Jenni Balmer, said: “We want to help anglers manage aquatic environments using good ecological principles. Our aim for lakes and ponds is to promote a balanced population of mixed fish species, reflecting a healthy, sustainable environment. To achieve this, we sometimes need to manage fish populations actively, to encourage the appropriate mix of species and sizes.”

As part of the project, we have also teamed up with Active ten20 and Oxford City Council to pay for a new Angling development officer, to promote angling to Oxford residents.

The new officer, Ian Horrocks, will have access to the newly-stocked Sunningwell Lake, to introduce local children to the joys of fishing – particularly kids who may not otherwise have the opportunity to discover the many health and recreational benefits angling has to offer.

He said: "This is a great opportunity for us to be able to use a water environment that is centrally located and accessible to the majority of local people. I would like to thank Littlemore Angling Society who have been very supportive of the project.”