Fish sustainability project reaps rewards
Associated British Ports (ABP) has taken part in a sustainability project to improve fish migration from the Humber estuary which has helped salmon and other migratory fish reach new spawning grounds for the first time in over 100 years.
The Green Port Hull Fish Mitigation Project was designed to mitigate the possible impacts on migratory fish resulting from the renewable-energy focused Green Port Hull Project. Led by The Rivers Trust, Environment Agency and ABP, which provided GB£180,000 for the initiative, it has boosted both the environment and economy.
Simon Bird, regional director for ABP Humber said: “The Fish Mitigation Project has been a real success and we are really pleased to have been able to deliver this project with The Rivers Trust and The Environment Agency. Through this fund, local Rivers Trusts have delivered five projects on the Humber estuary, implementing fish passages, or where possible, removing the weir completely.
“Estimates suggest that every rod-caught salmon could be worth thousands of pounds to the local economy – really demonstrating that projects like this are a win-win for both the environment and economy.”
Five completed projects
So far, five migration projects have been delivered, opening up more than 70km of river and spawning habitat. The grant from ABP resulted in more than GB£2m additional funding from other sources, including heritage grants.
The Humber Estuary handles over 80m tonnes of cargo on an annual basis and initiatives such as the Mitigation Project enable the estuary to continue to support a growing population of wildlife.
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