cormorant-proof trout BY BOB MCGINNIGLE, PRESIDENT JFAA
In search of
The Jersey Freshwater Angling Association has been in existence for over fifty years and provides coarse and game angling on many Jersey waters working closely with Jersey Water, the National Trust, Government Departments, Les Mielles Golf and many others.
Their activities include not only game and coarse angling for members but they also have a successful community programme providing juniors and teenagers with opportunities for coarse fishing to promote an active lifestyle choice, along with events for Holidays for Heroes, access and permits for tourists and some work with those having special needs.
Over those fifty years, Jersey Water has reared both rainbow and brown trout to stock the main island reservoirs of Val De La Mare and Queens Valley as they do not breed naturally in Jersey and eggs have to be stripped from the females and fertilized from the males and hatched under controlled conditions.
After half a century Jersey Water decided they needed to cease the rearing of trout so the local association picked up the challenge with their help. Darren L'Enfant, the main man, and a small team of volunteers from the association decided to take it forward.
The team is advised by the now retired Derek Morris who was Facilities Manager with Jersey Water and had the management and running of the Jersey Water trout rearing programme as one of his many responsibilities.
Despite a few learning setbacks and proving the old adage that if anything that can go wrong, it will, the association has created a trout hatchery looking to rear the fish to what are called Cormorant proof size, which is essentially a minimum of 2 to 3 lbs. Indeed, some trout from the old stock in 2018 weighed up to 10 lbs.
However, 2018 was not without its challenges for the trout hatchery. Extreme high temperatures and low water levels resulted in many fish being lost due to low oxygen levels and gravity system failed. But the guys did not give up and with Jersey Water’s help the water flows were improved by powered pumps and the aeration through air vac systems.
As Jersey is an aquatic disease free zone, to maintain sufficient stock levels of trout, it is necessary to import eggs from other areas, which are designated disease free.
The only other disease-free zones under EU regulations in addition to Jersey, are the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. So certified disease-free eggs are brought in under license for hatching, under the approval of Jersey’s Environment Department, from the Isle of Man.
The very limited trout for stocking over the last two years has resulted in very few fly/game fishing events taking place in Community Angling coaching, special needs and Holidays for Heroes, and there have been very few visitor tickets, despite increased demand. Hopefully this will be rectified by 2020
The previous years of stocking and the development of game angling skills has helped Jersey to compete at World and Commonwealth Fly Fishing and Fly Casting competitions. This could also be under threat should no trout be available to all anglers so we wish all the teams great success and look forward to developments in the next year.
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