The 'Basin' pond on the Lower Common before removal of fish"

Lower Common, Buckley

1 February 2005

On 1st February 2005, the Flintshire Countryside Service hired a large pump for the day and worked with the Environment Agency to remove fish from one of the ponds. The fish had been introduced illegally several years before and were preventing the amphibians from living and breeding. Entries 3.235 - 3.245 show the procedure that day to remove the fish without harm, transferring them to a holding tank before releasing them safely elsewhere.

The fish species found were Crucian Carp, Gudgeon, Perch, Rudd, and Tench. There were several dozen fish altogether, but by far the biggest was a 2lb or so tench whose appetite alone would account for a mass destruction of the newts and frogs and other wildlife trying to make a living in that pond, called the Basin Pond because of its shape. Two or three frogs and newts were found and transferred to the other ponds on the common.

Crucian Carp: 20 - 30 cm. The only true carp native to Britain, living in small weedy ponds and feeding on bottom-living invertebrates and plants.

Gudgeon: 7 - 15 cm. Bottom-dwelling fish with well-developed barbels which help detect invertebrates.

Perch: 25 - 40 cm. Live in still or slow moving waters, feeding on small fish but can eat their own young when other prey is scarce.

Rudd: 20 - 35 cm. Maximum weight 1.5kg. Can occur in large shoals.

Tench: Can reach 60 - 70 cm and weigh 2kg. The biggest British Tench on record is 5.5 kilograms (just over 12 pounds). Member of the Carp family. Bottom-feeding on plants and animals.

Phil Hodges, Tom Woodall and Mott Woodall worked for the Countryside Service and Richard Pearce for the Environment Agency. Richard had made arrangements for the transfer of the fish to their new environment.

By creating a fishing pond with platforms on the Higher Common, the Countryside Service hoped to deter the introduction of yet more fish.

It was not long before the pond was full of water again. In spring 2005 a torchlight survey will be undertaken to take a newt population count.

Information on the fish was taken from:

Buczacki, Stephan "Fauna Britannica". Hamlyn, 2002

Hart-Davies, Duff "Fauna Britannica". Weidenfeld and Nicolson,

Sterry, Paul "Complete British Wildlife Photoguide". HarperCollins, 1997

Author: Shone, Carol

The 'Basin' pond on the Lower Common before removal of fish"

Lower Common, Buckley

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