smelt in rivers and estuaries in england 2010 - ifm · smelt in rivers and estuaries in england....

Smelt in rivers and estuaries in England2010

Steve ColcloughDirector

Original watercolour by Colin Newman

Synopsis

1. Biology of the smelt

2. Historical fisheries

3. Modern distribution

4. Legislative position

5. Future protection and regulation

Drawing after Maitland, 2003

Smelt in England 2003 & 2010 Reviews

Most of the known biology has been described by a number of workers in Western Europe on the Elbe, Cree & Thames (Maitland, 2003). Variation in life history strategies across the range from Ireland to the former USSR and Norway to northern Spain, with anadromous and lacustrine populations.

Osmerus mordax Rainbow smelt in New England.

Chris Conroy

Osmerus eperlanus (L.) smelt or sparling

Locating the spawning fish on the Thames at Wandsworth

Hand gill net – 25m by 1.5 m

Mid - April, 1986 & 1987.

Dace

Wheeler, 1979.

Downstream drift of early larvae & eggs?

15 km tidal excursion, with a net movement downstream 0.5 km/day

160-200 degree days to hatch, with ambient temperatures in the range 10 - 12°C ie 13- 20 days

Wandsworth is 11.2km above London Bridge ie approximately 23 days downstream by passive drift

18 mm larvae first seen at Greenwich in mid- May (Colclough, 2000)

In the Elbe at similar temperatures, these would be around 27 days after hatching (Sepulveda, 1994)

Selective tidal stream transport. (Colclough, 2002)

Larval & egg drift (Ehrenbaum, 1894; Lillelund, 1961)

• Major commercial fisheries for smelt, shad, whitebait, shrimp, eel, and salmon were associated with the Thames estuary until the 1830’s.

• 50,000 smelt per day were landed at Deptford in 1800.

• Smelt and shad bones have been found in Roman remains at Southwark.

• By 1800, Barking Creek supported one of the largest UK fishing fleets (over 1000 vessels in total).

• The remains of Bronze Age fish traps can be found at Putney and elsewhere.

• The locations of the original fishing villages such as Battersea were probably determined in part by the availability of good fishing stations.

A History of Fisheries in the Thames Estuary

Wheeler 1979

Lord Mayor & Conservator of the Thames

1630 smelt byelaws - Smelt close seasons

West of London 10/3 – 14/9

East of London 21/10 - Good Friday

April 1797 early dispensation – 500 employed

Fishing Methods

Historical legal position

www.envionment-agency.gov.uk

6 yr cycle, Reference Conditions & Programmes of Measures

Colclough

et al, 2002, Coates et al, 2007

Otter trawling in the lower Thames Estuary Spring & Autumn

Length frequency distributions for smelt in the Thames 1994-96

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Battersea 1994

01020304050

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Brentford 1994

012345

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Greenwich 1994

024

68

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)N

umbe

r

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Hammersmith 1994

024

68

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), West Thurrock 1994

0

1

2

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn

BRENTFORD

HAMMERSMITH

BATTERSEA

GREENWICH

WEST THURROCK

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), Brentford 1995

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 5 10 15 20 25

Le ngt h ( c m)

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Hammersmith 1995

01020

3040

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn


0

1

2

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn


05

10152025

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn


020406080

100

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Richmond 1995

0

10

20

30

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn


0

1

2

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

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ber

Spring

Autumn


0

1

2

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

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ber

Spring

Autumn


024

68

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)

Num

ber

Spring

Autumn

Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus ), Kew 1996

0

1

2

3

0 5 10 15 20 25

Length (cm)N

umbe

r

Spring

Autumn

KEW

RICHMOND

10KM.

N

From Colclough et al, 2000

Average Water Temperature Taken At Cadogan AQMS.

0

5

10

15

20

25

JAN

FEB

MAR AP

R

MAY JU

N

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Month

Tempe

rature

0 C

199419951996

Average Dissolved Oxygen Concentration Of Water Sampled From Cadogan AQMS.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Month

Dissolve

d Oxy

gen (%

)

1994

1995

1996

Average Chloride Content Of Water Sampled From Cadogan AQMS.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Month

Chlor

ide mg/L

199619951994

Flow gauged at Kingston (Teddington), for years 1994, 95 and 96. Plotted against a 7 year average (1987-93).

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Janu

ary

Febr

uary

Mar

ch

April

May

June July

Augu

stSe

ptem

ber

Octob

erNo

vem

ber

Dece

mbe

r

Month

CUM

ECS 7 Year Average (87-93)

199419951996

Water quality summary information from the Tidal Thames 1994-1996

From Colclough et al, 2000

Thames Tideway Strategy – Dissolved Oxygen standards - WFD

8 species tested in classic ecotoxicological studies - brown trout, salmon (smolts), bass, sand-smelt, dace, flounder, common goby & smelt.

6hr/24hr LC50 values ranged from 4/4mgl/l to 0.6/1.2mg/l.

Smelt range 1.5/1.6 – only adults tested, only then after ambient temperature fell below 18C

Avoidance

Avoidance threshold ranged from 5.25mg/l to 0.8mg/l. Smelt 3.1 mg/l.

Turnpenny et al. 2004 for TWUL.

North East:- Tweed x, Wansbeck x, Blyth x, Tyne x, Wear x, Tees x. Tyne, Esk (Yorkshire)

East Coast: - Humber - Humber, Trent, Ouse, Ure ? Wash - Wainfleet Haven ?, Witham ?, The Haven (Boston) ?, Welland ?, Nene ?, Great Ouse, Broads - Waveney, Wensum, Thurne, Bure, Yare.Humber – Humber & Trent. Wash - Wash, Gt. Ouse. Broads –Breydon Water, Bure.

South East:- Alde ?, Deben ?, Stour (Suffolk) ?, Orwell ?,Blackwater,Crouch, Thames - Thames, Lee, Medway,Swale.Alde,,Stour(Suffolk), Orwell, Blackwater, Crouch,

Thames –Thames, Lee, Medway,Swale . South Coast - Rother ? Ouse Sussex? Adur ? Portsmouth Harbour?,

Southampton Water ? Christchurch Harbour? Poole Harbour, Frome, Piddle, Portland Harbour?.Adur

South West: - Kingsbridge Harbour ?, Tamar .Plymouth Sound

North West: – Dee, Mersey? Ribble, Morecambe Bay, Wyre, Lune, Kent, Leven, Duddon, Solway? Eden?. Dee, Mersey, Ribble, Lune, Wyre, Solway.

Smelt in England 2003 & 2010

Drawing after Maitland, 2003

Smelt Osmerus eperlanus (L.)

Sand-smelt Atherina presbyter (L.)

Newburn Slip Spring 2009

Smelt in the Tyne

0

1

2

3

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y

Osmerus eperlanus n = 8

Relict or immigrant?

Coastal movement?

Smelt in the Middle & Upper Humber

Whitton Island Autumn 2004

0

1

2

3

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y

Osmerus eperlanus n =4

0

1

2

3

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Flaxfleet Spring 2007

1.5 tonnes at Gainsborough

Fyne net captures - pike dead bait market

0

1

2

3

4

5

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Smelt in the Wash & Great Ouse

Wash Autumn 2007

0123456789

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Gt Ouse South of Kings Lynn Autumn 2008

Gt Ouse Low Cut Spring 2007

Gt Ouse Low Cut Autumn 2008

0

1

2

3

4

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


0

5

10

15

20

25

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


0

2

4

6

8

10

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Gt Ouse South of Kings Lynn Spring 2008

Witham, Welland?

Breydon Water (CSV) Autumn 2008

Smelt in the Norfolk Broads

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Bure, Thurne, Waveney

Pike deadbait market

Smelt in the Alde

Iken Cliffs Autumn 2003

012345678

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Deben, Stour & Orwell?

Grain Spring 2001

Smelt in the Medway

0

1

2

3

4

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Borstal Autumn 2000

0123456789

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Borstal Spring 2001

012345678

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Woulham Autumn 2000 0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Woulham Spring 2000

Woulham Autumn 2000

Borstal Autumn 2000

Recovery later than Thames

3 �C colder than Thames

Second wave of post larvae in Thames in June

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y

Osmerus eperlanus n =62Connor Quay Autumn 2004

02468

10121416

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y

Osmerus eperlanus n = 30Cob House Farm Spring 2004

Cob House Farm Autumn 2004

02468

1012141618

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Saltney Autumn 2005

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y

Osmerus eperlanus n =7Crane Wharf Spring 2008

Smelt in the Dee

Cob House Farm Autumn 2004

Mersey

Smelt in the Ribble

Seven and a half mile post Autumn 2009

0

1

2

3

4

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


0

1

2

3

4

0 100 200 300 400 500

Length (mm)

Freq

uenc

y


Smelt in the Solway

Silloth Autumn 2008

Cree

Eden, Wampool, Nith, Annan etc?

Thames Sea Fisheries Byelaws 2009 - smelt

European status - vulnerable – Winfield et al., 1994

5 tonnes from Blythe Sands in late summer of 2009 & 2010 Buyers & Sellers Regs. 2008.

Fish for the Future

Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review 2000Marine & Coastal Access Act, 2009 is delivering changes to our freshwater fisheries legislation. The main changes in Part 7 Chapter 3 are –

SFFA, 1975 -• S.1 Implements – smelt, lampreys and shad (SLS) added• S.2 Unclean fish now includes SLS • S.25 Licensing provision includes smelt and lampreys• S.26 Licence limitation extended to all species under S.25• S.27A&B New power to authorise fishing• S.31& 33 New power to disable, remove certain fixed engines• S.34 Power to apprehend now extended to 24hrs.• S. 35 Power to require licence production extended to include

authorisations and licences under S.16 of the W. & C. Act, 1981

• S. 40A New power for national authority to specify fish species• S. 41 Definitions – freshwater crayfish now means “all”

freshwater crayfish

Species – specific research: -

Review the case for the introduction or reintroduction of smelt to new or previously occupied sites.

Investigate the impact of climate change on smelt populations.

Complete a sampling programme for genetic analysis to determine origin of fish around UK and report.

Species-specific management action: -

Restoration of stocks to previously occupied rivers (e.g. Rivers Tyne, Nith, Annan, etc.). Galloway Fisheries Trust – Cree to Water of Fleet

Wider "landscape" action –

Ensure existing fisheries are monitored and sustainable.

Removal of man-made barriers to migration in all UK rivers.

UK BAP Priority SpeciesOsmerus eperlanusActions identified by experts V2 15/12/10

smelt in rivers and estuaries in england 2010 - ifm · smelt in rivers and estuaries in england....

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