Environment Agency warns residents not to rescue fish hit by heatwave in Gosport beauty spot

More than 100 Gosport residents spent Saturday rescuing fish and marine life in Alver Creek, a tidal lake of Portsmouth Harbour, which had been left stricken by the recent hot weather.

Residents moved some of the animals to the other side of the weir in an effort to save them, as hundreds of fry and fully grown fish lay dead on the shoreline.

Now the Environment Agency has advised residents that moving fish without the agency’s authorisation is against the law.

A spokeswoman for the organisation said: ‘While we fully understand the concerns of the public, it is against the law to move fish without authorisation from the Environment Agency.

‘We regulate the movement of fish to help protect fish stocks and the water environment from harmful parasites and disease.

‘Environment Agency officers will continue to monitor the situation closely and we are continuing to provide advice and guidance on the options being considered.

‘We’ve been dealing with numerous reports of fish in distress, due to recent weather conditions leaving many water bodies with low oxygen levels.

‘If anyone sees fish in distress or has further information please call our free incident hotline number on 0800 80 70 60.’

Explaining the mass die-off, the spokeswoman added: ‘This is possibly due to low tide levels, resulting in lower water and dissolved oxygen levels. The lack of recent rainfall also means little surface water re-charge to the lake.

‘We have informed Gosport Borough Council, Queens Harbour Master, Natural England and Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (SIFCA).

‘We have asked Southern Water to check their assets in the area and no problems have been reported.’

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