Are There Any Burbot Left in England? : UK FISH MYTHS

[@portcullis5622]

The lower reaches of the Yorkshire Derwent are managed as nature reserves, with large areas going under water in most winters. It is a relatively unchanged habitat of flood meadows (ings). Anglers were still catching burbot from the Derwent up to the mid-1960s, with continuing rumours of burbot up to the 1980s. From Stamford Bridge downstream to Barmby, where the Derwent meets the Ouse, there are long stretches of river that are never fished, and have hardly been fished over the last few decades, especially at night and in winter (when the burbot are supposed to feed the most). On many stretches, no fishing is allowed at all. If the burbot is hanging on anywhere in England, it is likely to be the Yorkshire Derwent. The other possibility is the Yorkshire Esk; a river that is really only fished by salmon and trout anglers and rumours of possible burbot captures occur occasionally.

[@KeefsCattys]

Good comment .

[@joncampbell3641]

I agree completely. Just as an aside I’ve caught Twaite Shad in the Esk estuary- another species that shouldn’t be there….

[@baldieman64]

As mentioned, EDNA studies are done that would show up burbot if they were present.

[@portcullis5622]

@@baldieman64 While it is possible to prove the presence of a species with a positive test, it is impossible to prove a negative. I would be very interested to read exactly where those tests have been done and how often. I have never heard of any, specifically for the presence of burbot, by the Environment Agency on the Yorkshire Derwent. I suspect that as the Environment Agency don't even appear to have the resources to monitor and control pollution, they are unlikeky to be carrying out regular tests to monitor the presence or absence of rare species. It appears that more water quality testing is done by amateur scientists than by the EA. Apart from flood control, the EA's resources have been easy targets for cuts over the last couple of decades. I will be delighted if someone from the EA can tell tell that I am incorrect in my assumptions and can send me a link to the evidence.

[@portcullis5622]

@@baldieman64 While it is possible to prove the presence of a species with a positive test, it is impossible to prove that a species is definitely absent (you can't prove a negative). I would be very interested to read the details of DNA tests specifically for burbot on the Yorkshire Derwent done by the Environment Agency (or any other scientists). I have never heard of any. As the EA don't appear to have the resources to monitor or tackle water pollution, I suspect that DNA tests for rare (possibly extinct) species will be very low on their priority list. Over the last two decades, apart from flood defences, the EA have been an easy target for government cuts. I would guess that more water tests are now carried out by amateur scientists and naturalists than by the EA. I would be delighted if someone from the EA replies and tells me that my assumptions are incorrect. If they could send me links to those Yorkshire Derwent burbot DNA tests then that would be wonderful.

[@burniemaurins2382]

After reports of a fish being caught from the fens in the 1960's, I spent a large part of one season in the late '60's on the Delph trying to catch one, failed to find any sign of one and talking to eel fishermen, they hadn't seen any since before the second world war. I think you are right and unlikely to still exist.

[@tango6nf477]

Our waters are going through disastrous changes owing to thoughtless or illegal introduction of alien species such as Zander, and Catfish. As a child I used to catch many Gudgeon, Ruffe, Minnows and other small bottom feeders, indeed in some places they were quite a nuisance as they were so prolific. Now they are rare and last season I caught only one Gudgeon. Zander have become so common in the rivers and canals and now we hear of Catfish becoming more and more caught in rivers and canals. What chance would the Burbot have if reintroduced? Those who did and continue to introduce these fish have ruined the balance of nature, and it will only get worse.

[@nospoon4799]

I agree about the catfish. They will destroy fish stocks, bird populations etc. I always thought they caused the crash of Barbel populations on the Severn in the Eighties. Carp are the really damaging invasive though. They are everywhere in the uk. They change the whole ecosystem. Predators don't really change the ecosystem long term as their populations are self managing through food availability. They affect populations but this balances out long term. Carp eat anything. Plants, inverts, fish eggs, mud even. They cloud the water and this prevents photosynthesis. They also dig up most plant species. Carp are the number one invasive in the UK in terms of damage to the native habitat. Tench for instance find it hard to nest with carp in the same lake. Carp trash their nests. Carp are the worst for sure. Especially in small lakes.

[@dunwitch]

I fish burbot quite a lot in the USA (they are wonderful fish), and also do biological surveys, and a great many of the small coldwater streams have small, highly localized, dwarf burbot populations. Nobody fishes, encounters, or even knows about these small, isolated, and dwarf populations. While the large cold lakes and rivers are where anglers encounter large burbot, the small icy streams where the dwarfish populations live have burbot populations that are never encountered by anglers, and very, very rarely turned up by electrofishing or other bioassay methods. They live underneath flat stones mostly, so even when shocked by electrofishing equipment, they are never collected. I wouldn't look for them in any of the major rivers, but in tiny coldwater tributaries fed by underground springs, or moderately cold smallish streams and rivers that have a lot spring influence. I know nothing about the hydrology of Britain to even speculate about whether or not burbot could still exist anywhere, and certainly don't believe they do, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility because they turn up in very small, out-of-the-way, and isolated areas in the USA.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

0:45 - that looks like a dead pike.

[@ericpode6095]

I think that was to emphasize what he was saying about pollution.

[@pegknife]

Hopefully if they are re-introduced ,they will only eat signal crayfish and cormorant.

[@mnp3713]

We still have a few in Denmark and we are pretty good at destroying spicies and habitat so my guess is that you have a few perhaps in a lake that don't get fished.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

There were reputedly some caught in the Upper Thurne system on the Norfolk broads in the late 60s.

[@gazgonenative4696]

I still think so . There in private collections

[@jbradshaw4236]

One day I think one will be caught ... imagine if they come back...

[@daphnia-magna]

Great video.

[@bricktop3784]

hope they bring them back soon love to catch one or just see one

[@portcullis5622]

@@bricktop3784 Many of us would, but, unless you are the right side of 30, I wouldn't hold your breath about seeing an English burbot. Natural England and the Environment Agency have been dithering and finding excuses for years. They haven't officially declared the burbot extinct, so that is one convenient excuse not to reintroduce them. They say they have to be certain that reintroductions won't adversely affect any existing burbot populations that may be still around. Despite much searching online, I still haven't found any evidence at all of environmental DNA tests having been carried out for burbot on the 42 English rivers where they were once found. Maybe my online searches were as accurate and successful as the EA's eDNA tests? I would love to see the evidence that they had carried out such tests, especially on lightly fished rivers such the Yorkshire Derwent, where the burbot could still be hanging on. My hunch is that the species hung on there at least until the early 1990s, but I am not convinced that scientists from the government bodies bothered to search hard enough in the right places. Anyway, they could carry out hundreds of eDNA tests, but still not be certain that there are no burbot left, as it is impossible to prove a negative! The last I heard, about 3 years ago, they were talking about a small Norfolk river as a possible site for a reintroduction. I find it all rather sad and bitterly ironic that we have alien species such as zander, ide and wels catfish swimming around and causing environmental problems in many of our (badly polluted) rivers due to illegal stocking and escapes, yet the EA and EN are so cautious about the possible reintroduction of a native species that was still living here up until 55 years ago.

[@KeefsCattys]

I hope they are reintroduced soon . Enjoyed the video

[@OliverQueen1974]

Places like Brooksby College in Leicestershire started a captive breeding program of Burbot with the end game being rewilding, but the EA put a stop to the potential reintroduction. This has been ongoing for over 20 years now (they used to display at angling/country shows with them in tanks). I would like nothing more than to see the Burbot reintroduced but I cannot see it happening in my lifetime unfortunately.

[@derekroberts8637]

I did the fisheries course at brooksby in 95/96. Thoroughly enjoyed it I did. I'm a brickie now though 😢.

[@johnbruce2868]

My two favourite fish names. Turbot & Burbot. One is flat and lives in the sea, the other looks like a ling but lives in fresh water. Anyone know anything about fish name etymology?

[@AaronsAnglingJourney]

Brill

[@portcullis5622]

@@AaronsAnglingJourney Scophthalmus rhombus?

[@ArjanKop]

Pelophylax lessonae seems to have gone extinct?

[@stephenridd6834]

I know of a local anger (Wolverhampton) who, probably 10 years ago, reckoned he was catching burbot in the local canal (Staffs Worcs) near Penkridge! However, what I think he had been catching were stone loach - a small gudgeon-sized fish yeah but possibly with assumed burbot like appearance at first glance with its long slim body and 6 barbules? Back in the 70's the Staffie became seemingly devoid of everything other than gudgeon and stone loach - and even the stone loach were comparatively few in terms of gudgeon numbers - but if 1 in 20 fish caught were loach AND catching 100 gudgeon in 30-40 minutes was the norm at that time it still meant that loach were there in goodish numbers at that time. However, nowadays, with the return of perch, pike, chub, eels and the odd zander, gudgeon, being a food source for the predators, have become far scarce and its been many, many, many years since I've heard of loach from there. Perhaps, at that time, that guy had dropped on a small area where they survived for a short period?

[@lurekayaklrf]

We still sight fish stone loan at night with head torches but in very shallow streams of no more than 6 inches deep.

[@mrslinkydragon9910]

we need to remove the catfish in our rivers too!

[@KeefsCattys]

Carp are not welcome either in my opinion . Keep them to lakes

[@mrslinkydragon9910]

@KeefsCattys terrible invasive species! The catfish in the river medway came about because they were stocked in a set of lakes adjacent to the river. The levys burst during a flood and the fish escaped! The owner was fined and prohibited from stocking them again. Well the damage is done now...

[@mattwright2964]

There is far too much thoughtless stocking of fish like carp and catfish that then escape. They are not native fish to the UK and we now have muddy overstocked ponds with too much nutrients in them and so called anglers throwing endless piles of feed into those lakes, polluting them further. As you say they then escape into other waters. I speak as an angler dismayed by the direction commercial style leisure angling has gone.

[@mrslinkydragon9910]

@mattwright2964 there's a spot on the River medway at Yalding, as the tiese enters the medway (were teapot island was) that had loads of big chubb in, last time i went barely any. It's a real shame. Especially since people revere carp for some reason!

[@memory-man]

@mrslinkydragon9910 Forty years ago as a lad, while perch fishing at the local reservoir, the Ranger memorably explained to us how they wouldn't stock Wels because they are 'ravenous and would eat everything, even the adult ducks.' Introducing non native species is seldom if ever a good idea though the 'Asp' would at least be a fine sporting addition to UK rivers.