Project aiming to reintroduce salmon to River Aire gets £800,000 boost

Monday, 16 October 2017 07:00

A project to restore Atlantic salmon, improve coarse fish populations and engage people with the River Aire has secured £800,000 from the National Lottery.

The Environment Agency and the Aire Rivers Trust have worked together to get Stage 1 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to progress their £1.6m Developing the Natural Aire (DNAire) project.

This will build fish passes on four weirs - the last major barriers to fish movement between the North Sea and Gargrave in the Yorkshire Dales to spawn.

Historically the River Aire was rich in salmon but industrial pollution and weirs rendered much of the River Aire lifeless.

Downstream of Leeds fish passes have been built on other major weirs which means that adult salmon can now reach the city centre from the Humber Estuary.

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