Source: Yorkshire Post

One of the most prized wild salmon rivers in the north of England may be under threat from a new hydro-electric power plant because it is sited downstream of salmon spawning grounds.

The Environment Agency has launched an investigation following reports by anglers that salmon catches have fallen dramatically since the plant on the River Ribble at Settle was opened two years ago. At nearby Stainforth Foss – which in the past has been featured on TV for its spectacular views of leaping salmon – many tourists have been disappointed to discover there are no salmon to be seen.

When the £410,000 community-owned hydro plant was built it was sited directly alongside a concrete salmon pass which should allow migrating fish to swim upstream to their spawning grounds.

But John Breckon, bailiff for a local angling consortium, said many salmon no longer used the pass because they were frightened away.

“When you stand next to the plant you can feel the vibration through your feet,” he said.

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Which just goes to show that once these structures are in place nobody proactively regulates their use or gives a flying fig about the consequences of their construction.

238 breaches of the permit and "an investigation is under way" - what a useless response.

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Musha rig um du rum da

It's almost impossible to fight these damn things once installed, the same goes for fish farms, the only effective way to avoid things like this happening is to stop it in the first place.

One of my local Becks (ex) is lifeless mainly due to a fish farm being granted a stupid consent years ago which allowed it to take most of the water through the ponds, over the years water levels have fallen which has seen the farm taking the entire flow through the ponds, and no one but a handfull of anglers really give a damn, to make things worse the Sewage farm which is just downstream is also dealing with many many more new homes and visitors to the local town, the angling club has spent hours putting pen to paper, we also got legal assistance, years on we are no nearer to getting anything done.

Regs, V

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"Perfection will do"

I wonder how long it is going to take for people to realise that our entire natural ecology is doomed unless we get control of our own population?
I mean the world, not just Britain.

"238 breaches of the permit and "an investigation is under way" - what a useless response"

This should be no surprise - the EA is useless and completely unfit for purpose. Look at the River Tees barrage - it has been blocking Salmon running for 20 years. What has the useless thumb sucking EA done? **** all.

I say, ABOLISH the EA (at least it's fisheries function) and give control to river boards, as in Scotland.