The Environment Agency is asking the public to help protect our rivers and watercourses this summer by reporting sightings of fish in distress, and algal blooms.
Last summer across the South East, the Environment Agency responded to 88 serious incidents directly related to hot weather impacts on the environment.
With a prolonged spell of hot and dry conditions, that figure could be set to rise even further this year.
Last week (19-23 June), Environment Agency fisheries officers have saved thousands of fish in responding to 27 significant incidents in the South East caused by hot weather impacts on the water environment.
Warm weather can be highly dangerous for fish, particularly for more susceptible species like salmon and pike. Hot and sunny weather typically triggers algal blooms, which can strip dissolved oxygen levels out of our waters, leading to fish becoming distressed, and, in some cases, dying.
Signs that fish are in distress include:
Also in freshwaters, particularly lakes, blue green algae (cyanobacteria) especially thrive in warm conditions, and has the potential to be harmful by forming blooms and scums which can be highly toxic to humans, fish, and animals.
Blooms can discolour the water, varying between blue-green, green, or greenish brown, and should be avoided as they can be toxic and lead to a variety of symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhoea.
For dogs and livestock, ingestion of scums can be fatal, so pet owners and farmers need to keep animals away.
Environment Agency incident response work includes deploying aeration equipment to restore dissolved oxygen levels in watercourses that it manages, providing expert advice to angling clubs, fisheries, and anglers, and occasionally, as a last resort, relocating fish.
All this work is funded by fishing licence income and provides a vital lifeline to fisheries when they most need it.
The public can report any fish in distress or algal blooms that turn the colour of the water blue, green, or brown, to the Environment Agency's incident hotline any time on 0800 80 70 60.
