DEAD PIKE EVERYWHERE - Is this the future of Fishing? (WARNING: Graphic)

Viewers beware, this video contains upsetting scenes documenting the consequences of a major pollution incident on the Lancaster canal. This environmental catastrophe is heartbreaking, even more so because this is the third time this has happened, caused by the same farm (allegedly). The marina was littered with dead bream, perch, roach, eels, ruffe and much more. Why does this keep happening? It's clear to me that the sanctions imposed on the earlier incidents must not have been severe enough. If that's the case, then the punishment this time must be much more substantial.
The reason for making this video is down to a couple of things. One being the recent release of a BBC article on this incident titled "dozens of fish dead". This is the understatement of the century, and I wanted to document and show to you all the true extent of whats going on and what has happened. Whoever is responsible for this can't be allowed to get away with it. Unfortunately, as individuals there is little we can do about this but together we might be able to make a difference.
One key thing I want to happen as a result of this video is the public identification of the person/organisation that caused this, as accountability would definitely reduce the likelihood this will happen again. Also, i'm sure we would all like to see them being prosecuted in court for the damage they have caused, with the outcome also being made publicly available so we can decide if it's fair or not.
I absolutely love pike fishing, perch fishing and just fishing in general on the canal and always treat the fish i catch with as much respect and care as possible. It's massively upsetting to see so much death which is down to the actions of someone, whether it be intentional or not. The EA investigation is ongoing, and I have contacted them for regular updates on the situation and will relay this information on a comment thread below.
Thanks for watching, and it saddens me to have to bring a matter like this to light on my channel. It's just really important to me that I try do everything in my power to make even the smallest difference, even if that's just through raising awareness.
It makes me wonder, with pollution incidents in our waterways only becoming more regular (like the recent river Kent incident) what does the future of fishing look like? If businesses and organisations keep receiving small and inadequate sanctions then the health of our aquatic populations is only going to go downhill. What do you think? What can we do to help?

[@adventurefishinguk]

UPDATE THREAD: EA have been contacted and hopefully we will get some updates regarding the cause and who is responsible. If you could share this video as much as you can that would be great, the more eyes on this the better!

[@adventurefishinguk]

Water samples have been taken from the site and we are awaiting results

[@adventurefishinguk]

UPDATE: a whopping 7 Bin bags of dead fish have been removed from the marina including a pike that looked at least a mid double in weight and one not far behind.

[@adventurefishinguk]

UPDATE: One big aerator and a couple of smaller ones have been installed at the marina, not sure for how long.

[@cattaneohernan1984]

I've just been fishing half a mile from there, and a woman came and told me what had happened. Now I know why I didn't catch any. Do you think it is worth me going down tomorrow to see If I can save any? I have a fish pond that needs stocking. I live locally and know some of the farmers. I wonder which one it was?

[@Mr1954jordan]

I was about 3 or 4 bridges north of Bridge House Marina last week and there was an awful smell..a bit like ammonia, very strong. I wonder if that had something to do with it?

[@thefunkybeautiful]

Cheaper to pollute and accept the paltry fines than to correctly handle agricultural waste, that's what it boils down to. People with no morals, vandalising our fragile ecosystem from all sides. We are in an ecological crisis, and this sort of thing should never be allowed to happen.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I couldn't agree more. It's time things changed

[@xConoooR1]

Mate in Scotland it’s illegal to kill pike, you’ll get fucked if you got found out. Shocking

[@xConoooR1]

Most places have rules when it comes to the pike as well

[@WSY01]

Here in The Netherlands in alot of little harbours like where you filmed this video there are special oxygen pumps in the water in the summer months. It basically looks like a round orange rescue float which almost all ships have but with a propeller in the middle that spews the water into the air about a few feet high which puts more oxygen into the water

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know what you mean, I think they may have smaller versions of that in marinas like this one over the summer months when oxygen is expected to be low. This was a sudden human caused even though unfortunately!

[@grant1133]

Fishing has been getting steadily worse for decades , places my dad fished when a boy it was impossible to fail are now empty. Incidents like this make you sick

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know it’s very unfortunate. Happening all over the world, the byproduct of economic growth 😔

[@peterisles7114]

Thanks for highlighting this terrible contamination of the canal as someone who fishes and loves all the wildlife stuff I feel sick to the stomach that somebody can do this anglers do get bad press but this goes to show with your video how much we care for the environment the true guardians of our waterways

[@adventurefishinguk]

Couldn't agree more! don't get the credit we deserve

[@jessiefayne4083]

Don't you mean the sewers because that's where all their drain water and runoff go to is those canals it's been that way since the place was built there's so much chemicals and stuff laying on the bottom of them canals from years ago that it's too far gone to do anything the only thing that kept them fish alive was the mud being on top they've been trying to clean up the canals and they've made things worse I releasing chemicals and stuff that have been buried for years, decades

[@pain_weaver]

Pretty sure it's an algae bloom. They occur naturally.

[@csdude01]

I fully agree

[@dominicburton950]

Firstly Well done for highlighting this incident 👏 This sort of thing often falls below the radar and is often not reported on enough .Decimating thriving fish stocks and taking years for recovery .Sadly the EA do what they can with the resources they have .Let's hope in this case someone is accountable and fined accordingly .Very sad to see mature fish stocks in that distress .I also note there are many eels which are now a protected species as there numbers decline every year .

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thank you, yeah it’s really heartbreaking. One of the reasons for making this video was to help ensure this doesn’t just get swept under the rug like it likely did the past two times. They need to be prosecuted

[@joshedwards9412]

This is awful to see. I used to fish a canal near where I live when I was a kid and you used to have to practically fight for pegs to fish it was such a good place. Unfortunately, the same thing happened about 25 years ago and a farm along the canal caused total decimation of the fish by their farming practices. Sad to say but all these years on fish levels have never returned to anywhere near what they were.

[@adventurefishinguk]

It's heartbreaking isn't it. hopefully if we all do our part publicising it we may see some change

[@southeastanglerinyorkshire6647]

If an Eel is struggling it could be something more chemical as they can survive in places fish can't. Has the EA been involved investigating and taking fish samples? I have seen the river Bure in Norfolk blighted by an exceptional high tide where the salt water gets up to 14 miles inland to Acle and the coarse fish are left gasping. Very sad to see. V

[@adventurefishinguk]

I believe in this case slurry is the confirmed cause, eels can cope better than other without oxygen so would explain why they were still alive

[@mattpjsmith]

That’s heartbreaking mate. Fair play for putting this video together!

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks mate, yeah it’s disgusting what’s happened

[@DevonLerfer]

Thats heartbreaking to see mate. I hope whoever is responsible is made fully accountable and is prosecuted accordingly. Fair play for raising awareness, lets hope your canal recovers from this as quickly as possible 🤞

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks for the support mate. Really awful what’s happened, I hope it doesn’t end up just being a small fine and a slap on the wrist like what I imagine is usually the case. With a bit of luck we will know who’s done it for sure 👍

[@leestiles5284]

An incredibly sad sight. I am glad you have posted this video to highlight this crime against nature. Our once famous rivers here in south west Wales have been under relentless bombardment from this problem from for several years. Being in a hotbed for dairy farming the farmers or these overstocked farms seem to be able to carry out this crime at will with very little repercussions. I hope your beautiful water way recovers as it feels borderline to late for our rivers.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Really sad isn't it, 9 months on and Still under investigation apparently!

[@clivelogsdon1492]

So sad to see this. Well done and keep us posted with any updates

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks Clive, there's a new video out now with updates

[@ianbourne9970]

This happened on the Trent n Mersey canal in Northwich at Oakwood Marina during 2nd lockdown....thousands of dead fish in the water due to a diesel spillage, like 20lb Pike, 15--18lb Carp thousands of silver fish, bream, tench, eels etc, was really upsetting to see man

[@adventurefishinguk]

That's a huge shame, i really hope whoever is responsible was held accountable. Heartbreaking

[@japanesefishingadventures]

It’s just shocking :( well documented mate and this will highlight the tragedy that’s happened 👍🏻

[@adventurefishinguk]

Really heartbreaking isn’t it. Hopefully whoever is responsible is found dealt with so it never happens again

[@zakwaspe]

thankyou for highlighting this...the ones responsible needs to be held accountable to the highest degree

[@adventurefishinguk]

Couldn't agree more!

[@Michael-tq6xm]

Resr assured the culprits have been identified and the environment agency will be prosecuting i just received an update on this after many phone calls. I have walked and fished this water from boy to retirement so seeing this breaks my heart. Thank you so much for reporting this and documentation of evidence as your video will be evidence against the person's responsible. Your not alone being close to tears.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Excellent that they have been identified. I was back there filming an update video last night and it’s brilliant that they will be prosecuted. I now hope it’s not settled out of court with a small fine and a slap on the wrist! Out of interest, has my video been mentioned in any of your correspondence with them?

[@Michael-tq6xm]

@@adventurefishinguk they never settle out of court the e/a. Do they have your vid as evidence

[@adventurefishinguk]

@@Michael-tq6xm as far as I’m aware they don’t. I tried emailing them and didn’t mention the video but they never replied

[@Michael-tq6xm]

@@adventurefishinguk ill see what i can do to make sure its used in any prosecution tomorrow. I heard the marina have been oxygenating the water to help. As well as river/canal trust pac have the video too maybe pac could litigate for compensation.

[@adventurefishinguk]

@@Michael-tq6xm that would be great. I had no idea it was tomorrow! That’s unfortunate, I’m away tomorrow but was really hoping to attend the trial

[@johnloxley8705]

That’s appalling buddy and put a lump in my throat just watching your video. I don’t even go fishing there but that doesn’t matter. A fish is a fish no matter where it lives and to see all that carnage is really upsetting. I hope the environment agency get to the bottom of it. No matter who gets prosecuted for this terrible devastation it can never replace what has gone and been lost. Keep in touch buddy and let us all know how things go if you find out. 😢🎣

[@adventurefishinguk]

Can’t agree more it’s absolutely disgraceful what’s happened. I’m worried that a prosecution will never take place, and if it does then it’ll be no more than a small fine and a slap on the wrist. Otherwise it wouldn’t keep happening! Huge huge shame that this is still going on in this day and age

[@johnloxley8705]

@@adventurefishinguk It was on The BBC news as well buddy so let’s hope they can firstly clean the area and remove the poor dead fish and once it’s all sorted and they’re no chance of a repeat of what’s happened they can restock the canal to try and help somewhat. It’s people like you that make a difference and as anglers we try and look after what we love … fingers crossed buddy 😀😀🎣🎣

[@kevinjohnson2528]

May already be on comments but, join Angling Trust and by extension Fish Legal. They are fighting these things constantly by contacting MP locally and parliamentary lobbying. So sad, thanks for bravery in uploading this.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks Kevin you’re the first person to bring that up. I’m a member of the angling trust and fish legal but I’ve never really known what service fish legal provide. Do you think this is something they would be interested in/able to help with?

[@kevinjohnson2528]

@@adventurefishinguk definitely, they will do their utmost to hold EA on task.

[@georgiecross9921]

Just fallen upon this & have to say it's something sadly ive come across myself on my local canal.. not to the extent on your footage but the scenes are the same ! I used to fish an area abundant with pike & alike where now its practically empty of fish. we pay for our licenses so yeah...we would like answers from the EA where the money goes ? well highlighted fella 👍

[@adventurefishinguk]

Its really unfortunate that this seems to be happening all over based on the comments. I feel like the EA definitely need to name and shame!

[@davefave4351]

This is happening far too often. Let's hope the culprits are prosecuted and given the harshest possible punishment.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I couldn’t agree more. It’s time this stopped

[@bluenose7984]

Once the shit's dumped in the canal, you'll never prove who did it! Should just retaliate and burn the farmers crops before they are about to be harvested lol!

[@jonbellard-lg5gq]

The culprit is the British government they are the ones ruining this country in every way possible !!!

[@martinryan8101]

Hi. Absolutely dreadful and almost certainly avoidable. If you’ve not yet contacted Angling Trust I thoroughly recommend that you do. EA are often complicit in this sort of event as they now don’t prosecute ‘small cases’. Several whistleblowers raised this only a few months ago. Something like 80% of field officer’s reports were dropped. And don’t forget the background of this government giving water companies permission to dump raw sewage into all of our waters. Contact your local MP but if she/ he is a Tory you’re probably wasting your time. I wish you the very best in your efforts as you follow this and thank you for raising awareness.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks for the advice martin i will be contacting the angling trust for sure, it's good we have this evidence for the future too. No doubt the ea wouldnt have taken many pictures and videos. I will get onto the local mp too, thanks for the support and suggestions

[@mattwright2964]

Not suggesting its the cause but what people don't realise is boats discharge all sorts of muck into rivers legally. Add in the way many farmers (not all) use the land as a discharge pipe for their factory style operations, some of it perfectly legally. They dig in pipes to drain their fields into surrounding water courses and then add loads of nutrients to the land. Nowadays even factories can't behave like that, their effluent and outputs are controlled.

[@adventurefishinguk]

There's definitely deep routed issues in the system that are very complex. It's time things changed i think!

[@kevinfletcher7471]

Well done for highlighting this

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks for the support Kevin

[@matthewtanner9823]

It's high time farmers went back to older styles of farming. I was reading yesterday that insect life in our country is down by 65% and people were being urged not to put fly papers or traps of any kind up this summer, the reason was pesticieds and chemicals used nowadays in farming. Now this. Fertilizers and pesticides were responsible back in the 50's for wiping out otter (Yes, we all know how bad the otter problem is) but it's a damned sight worse for all of us if we lose all of our fish and wildlife. Maybe it's possible to trace the chemicals back to a farm or find out who has been spraying crops etc over the last week?

[@adventurefishinguk]

I couldn’t comment on the causes or remedies because I don’t know too much about it but I’ve heard that too with the insects. People are being encouraged to plant insect friendly plants in their gardens etc! Hopefully they do manage to trace it and the person responsible gets what’s coming to them

[@I.have.an.std.]

Gutting mate hopefully the culprit is held responsible. Make sense that it has happened recently as none of the fish seemed to be huge like you said. Keep me updated and if there’s any petitions/ online work I can do I will happily standby you. Thank you for sharing this video hopefully lots of people see it and will help too.😔💔

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks mate I really appreciate the offer of help! It’s really upsetting isn’t it, hopefully they find out who is responsible

[@alison8526]

I think the MP for that area is Ben Wallace - I have just emailed him regarding this very shocking incident and included a link to this video.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thank you for helping, hopefully something gets done about it and it goes to get brushed under the rug!

[@kiwi_comanche]

There was a farmer prosecuted here in Northern Ireland for dumping Slurry into a major waterway. He killed thousands of fish and other marine life. Given that's a marina maybe it's been an oil or a fuel spill. Bloody heart breaking.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Still under investigation apparently!

[@davidroberts8275]

Thank you for pointing this out !!!

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks for the comment and the support!

[@AMG63]

Aw man this is horrible 😢 I've fished for over 30yrs and I've taken so much care to release everything I have caught and to see this is devastating, So sad.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Really heartbreaking isn't it!

[@FishingAroundUK]

I agree - absolutely heartbreaking to see this! It's a really hard watch but well done for documenting it and doing something about it. Mine is a fairly new KZbin channel, but I'll share the link with my community all the same :) 👍Tight lines

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks mate I really appreciate the share. It all helps raise awareness about what’s happened and what will continue to happen unless we do something about it!

[@nospoon4799]

I caught the Canal and river trust hiding dead fish (large bream and pike) in the bushes on my local canal. We had a conversation. They were unnecessarily evasive. I could smell diesel but there was also organic pollution, known problem on that stretch which has agricultural drainage along it. First move always is to report to the EA. Even if there are "officials" on scene. I did this on this occasion. The EA/NRW, as this was Dee catchment, were completely unaware of anything happening and told me that the C&R trust were legally obligated to report this immediately to EA/NRW and hadn't. They were pissed actually, oops. So if you want to get something done learn the signs of different pollutants. Foaming is usually down to some organic contamination or possibly detergents. Oil or diesel is usually obvious too. Early reporting can help immensely , enabling EA to get their gear on site quickly. I have had them arrive before I have left at times. They are always happy to get a report. I report invasives to them also, which also helps a lot for them mapping distribution.. They are a public body people should use them more. So on the real action side of things. If you study the local topography and drainage systems, which are all available one way or another, it is possible to track the source reasonably effectively. A member of the public with a documented and evidenced case forces them into action as a public body. Most of all, look after where you fish. Nobody else will.

[@handytrix7695]

Horrendous to see and thanx for highlighting, I would definitely have fished those eels out, they were the oldest of all those fish and would have stood a good chance of recovery once removed and returned to any other water course. An amazing enigmatic species that is endangered and should be respected by all. Hope whoever is responsible is held accountable.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I’d have definitely done that if there was a place for them to go mate but unfortunately the whole stretch canal was affected not just the marina. Heartbreaking to see especially considering they’re critically endangered

[@jezzat3778]

It’s a criminal offence to transfer any fish from one water to another in the uk

[@joerichards1680]

Good man for this video hopefully it goes somewhere higher an helps the situation respect brother👍🏼❤️

[@adventurefishinguk]

Still under investigation apparently!

[@dazzer273]

Thanks for sharing with the world though. More importantly your country and I hope local authorities really take this tragedy seriously. It’s absolutely disgusting and disgraceful this has been allowed too happen.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I really hope so too, fortunately this video is getting a bit of traction. With a bit of luck that’ll help make sure it isn’t swept under the rug like the last few times!

[@wonkylommiter6364]

Sadly, the Enviroment Agency can only do so much after a funding cut of two thirds recently. Cheers Boris.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Real shame isn't it!

[@tourcheverybridge]

Heart breaking mate good on you for bringing this to the public eye.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks mate!

[@djjudgev]

George horrendous to see what has happened. Well reported and documented. Surely has to be a partnership response by the EA, Canal and River Trust and PAC. You are exactly right some positive action against those responsible required.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Hopefully everyone comes together to try tackle it. It’s a massively unfortunate situation and you’re right something needs to be done about it

[@Super_Lancashire]

Absolutely shocking. Folk need to be held accountable by the for this. It happens far to often. We need to make people in authority, power aware of this dire situation. My heart hurts, such magnificent specimens. Such a sorry state.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I agree its heartbreaking. I hope this has an impact but i don't think the entire system is geared in favour of the environment

[@ICHall-og5zk]

The Gov itself has allowed water companies to release more untreated water into our rivers , but the water companies are still charging the same amount in water rates for not doing what theyre charging for Criminal and the Gov is in on it , to allow and agree to it

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know, they really need to clamp down on it otherwise there won’t be anything left to protect. It’s heartbreaking

[@NosterborSemaj]

Thanks for making the video and bringing awareness to this. Very sad to see, I hope the farmers responsible have been forced to pay reperations. Can't fathom how long it will take the fish to repopulate that stretch of the river :(

[@adventurefishinguk]

Horrible to see isn't it, 9 months on and it's still under investigation apparently!

[@NosterborSemaj]

@@adventurefishinguk damn :( I imagine it will be one of those, eternally 'ongoing' things.It's easier for the powers that be to turn a blind eye, that to actually take some action.

[@adventurefishinguk]

@@NosterborSemaj I think so too unfortunately

[@NosterborSemaj]

@@adventurefishinguk sad that anglers like us will pay the price for their negligence.

[@jambobee]

Totally agree with you George,truly shocking incident,such a tragedy 🥺

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know, it’s heartbreaking really. Hopefully we get to the bottom of it

[@hardlinesangling]

Absolutely devastating to see that. People need to be held accountable for it otherwise it will continue to happen unfortunately. Hopefully something can be done about it

[@adventurefishinguk]

I really hope so too. It’s time we started taking this really seriously and putting big sanctions on those responsible

[@jimmunro4649]

People weak now days nothing will happen

[@baldvale5418]

Thank you for having the Balls to make this video. I could not watch the eel bit & had had to skip it. it boils my Piss that this sort of negligent,barbaric,incompetent act can happen in the 21st century : (

[@adventurefishinguk]

No problem. I’ve just been informed that eels are actually a critically endangered species, heartbreaking.

[@theflossingfisherman7925]

I have seen this happen a couple of times. I live in a rural area where chemicals or slurry from farmers' fields will often leak or drain into the canal. Nothing seems to happen except a verbal warning. Knowing what the Enviroment agency did about this incident would be interesting.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Huge shame isn't it, I don't think they did anything really

[@andrewoakley4957]

A similar thing happened on my local river the parrett in Somerset in the mid 70s found it when we went to choose some fishing spots. Us young lads counted more than 200 dead fish in 1/4 mile of river! Like you say, not a pleasant smell. Soul destroying to see all those dead fish.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Horrible to hear isn't it!

[@jonathancoombes1495]

This happened on the Leeds-Liverpool in Leigh a couple of years ago. The EA reported several hundreds of fish dead when it was in fact several thousands. They basically swept the whole thing under the carpet and as far as I know nobody was ever held accountable. Thankfully the area has recovered relatively quickly.

[@adventurefishinguk]

That's a huige shame. I fear the same may happen here, partially why i've decided to document it so thoroughly

[@HealthThroughNutrition]

That's absolutely gutting to see, I love sport fishing and overwhelmingly practice cpr, but to see this is absolutely awful. I hope that those responsible are brought to justice for it.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I really hope so too mate

[@piscatorialpete3530]

Not what we pay licence fee to see. Get your fingers out NRA and find the culprits/problem. If someone neglible nail there arses in court and see they make good to the water. Without anglers eyes...who knows how widespread this might be??? Well done mate for highlighting this.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Very true! I hope this doesn’t just get swept under the rug like the last few times. I’ll do everything in my power to help the cause!

[@paulharris6886]

Absolutely sickening. What is also sickening is what the EA will not achieve in my experience. If they try hard enough, they may win a case against the culprit, but the fine will not amount to much in the scheme of things. As for future restocking, it’ll be 2oz fish. I never understand this; in my opinion the culprit should be responsible for reinstating all lost stock, no matter the cost of 10lb Pike and 3lb Perch (it’s pretty simple to record the losses when they are floating belly-up!) and the clean-up costs and decontamination costs prior to restocking. The Angling Trust would far better represent us and anybody who cares about our waterways. Not an enjoyable watch, but well done Bud 👍

[@adventurefishinguk]

Very true. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching. Hopefully some restocking takes place and a sizeable fine is given to the responsible party

[@hazzardoutdoors]

So frustrating, had this happen at a broad near me, was a diesel leak from a boat.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Heartbreaking isn’t it. Really unacceptable

[@jamesbowskill362]

If this happened a few years previously & was caused by a local farm, THEN, that farm is a good place to start ! clearly the farm has NOT changed its ways SO, it MUST BE CLOSED DOWN UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE FARMER IS RETURNED FROM JAIL & HAS PAID FOR THE ENTIRE AREA TO BE CLEANED UP. ! This must be followed up with extensive media coverage warning lazy farmers, they WILL go to jail! Dont forget that the lacklustre Environment Agency is just a complete waste of cash & not fit for purpose.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Unfortunately the media coverage is completely inadequate, no idea why. Something a bit suspect going on behind the scenes

[@GsTiteLines]

I am lost for words Geaorge. The powers to be have to take action and those responsible for this have to be held accountable. We have had a very similar issue here in Cornwall on the River Allen in the past week which has killed countless number of wild Brown Trout, Greyling and many other species. The EA, Angling Trust and local authorities have to prosecute and put an end to this. Speak soon mate G

[@adventurefishinguk]

Me too. I’m worried that all it’ll be is a slap on the wrist and a small fine, it’s about time that this is taken a lot more seriously! It’s a shame it’s happened down your way too, seems like it’s only getting worse over time

[@morganrichardson2934]

Saw a similar video on a council run park pond somewhere down south where an algae bloom had caused an oxygen crash. The guys asked for help from local businesses and they put a few pumps in to restore the oxygen. Lost a lot of fish but saved a lot too. Don’t know if the same method could be applied here until the actual cause is treated but just an idea?

[@adventurefishinguk]

That’s a shame. I’ve seen similar in Liverpool too but both sound like reasonably natural events. Unfortunately this wasn’t, but I have seen they have aerators now at least

[@suzypennycook3047]

Yes, that was on the Carl and Alex channel

[@arronfrost2872]

Tragic especially those big eels.So old and very rare these days.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know. They’re critically endangered, it’s heartbreaking to see

[@mikehenry7479]

Same as the local ponds by me , the EA and the council's have gave up on them and stopped working on them

[@adventurefishinguk]

Real shame isnt it 😔

[@mikehenry7479]

@@adventurefishinguk heart breaking buddy , not only for the fish but for local kids wanting to learn to fish in the future , etc

[@lozjax42]

Looks like the swamp that Frodo and Sam had to travel through!... And fair play to you young man for bringing this ti the public attention keep doing what you're doing :).

[@adventurefishinguk]

thanks mate!

[@Smuttleydog]

Hi Bong, do you mind if I share this to the pac Facebook page?

[@fredbailey2076]

They know about it

[@adventurefishinguk]

Already shared it Richard but thanks for the offer!

[@Michael-tq6xm]

It seems to be down to pollutants, environmental agencies are dealing with this aa well as PAC. Absolutely heartbreaking thank you for bringing this to attention. Hopefully the culprit will be identified.

[@adventurefishinguk]

It really is heartbreaking isn’t it. Such a shame, the fishing on this stretch won’t be the same for years maybe even decades

[@Michael-tq6xm]

@@adventurefishinguk i hope they get a huge fine for that but your right it will take a few years but it will bounce back. I used to have arguments with waterwitch pub as their dishwasher used to empty into canal. Its a fantastic water.

[@pain_weaver]

Algae bloom. Natural proccess.

[@skateboardingjesus4006]

@@Michael-tq6xm Seriously? What disgustingly careless arseholes. Washing up liquids have a number of chemicals toxic to aquatic biology. Surfactants alone could have a very detrimental effect on the protective layer surrounding the bodies of fish. Kudos for voicing your concerns .

[@northwalescoast7911]

To those who were responsible for this carnage WAKE UP..THIS IS OUR HOME !

[@adventurefishinguk]

Strongly agree 👍

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Bit surprised that nobody in the marina reported to the EA or C&RT earlier when they started seeing loads of dead fish appearing. Some of those fish looked to have been dead for quite a while. To see that many dead fish isnt normal.... And this makes me very sad because down my neck of the woods, i havent been able to hook into a pike at all. The river/canal here is just completely devoid of them

[@daipigeon7561]

Plz keep us up to date on any finding.. This is so sad

[@adventurefishinguk]

That’s a big shame. The response must have been quite slow but at least there’s been one

[@adventurefishinguk]

New video out with updates

[@bardofely]

So sorry to see this! I noticed a large European Eel that was gasping. Eels can breathe out of water as far as I know so I think it must be some chemical pollution.

[@adventurefishinguk]

It's terrible isn't it! In this case the cause has been confirmed to be slurry from a farm

[@lucamcdougall8842]

Problem is government fines are cheaper than legal waste disposal

[@adventurefishinguk]

This has come up a few times. Completely heartbreaking if this is the reason for it happening, really tough sanctions are needed

[@mikaelglad4184]

It definitely look like high nitrate levels so a farm is a prime suspect as you say. I have seen that in Sweden and it's soo sad to see all dead fishes.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Still under investigation apparently!

[@mellowfellow100]

This happened in the Clyde canal about 15 years ago In Glasgow it spread to Edinburgh the council said that some sort of parasite got into the water from a farm nothing was done about it every 5 to 10 metre for miles there was dead fish everywhere tench and pike mostly I’ve not fished it since but have seen small fish in the canal

[@adventurefishinguk]

Sorry to hear about that, it sounds awful!

[@robertalp3878]

Have shared on Facebook and Twitter. Look forward to any updates 🤬🤬🤬

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks Robert that’s really helpful. I appreciate it!

[@garykeighley712]

How awful I regularly fish the canal in Preston I hope the environmental agency prosecute the people who are responsible for this 😔

[@adventurefishinguk]

It would be completely unacceptable for them to not prosecute. If they didn’t, I’ll be starting a petition and getting as many signatures down as possible. Really awful what’s happened

[@1watsonwatson]

The Environment Agency probably did it

[@colinhynard50]

Absolutely disgusting behaviour by someone who clearly has no appreciation for the environment, they need to be caught and held to account. Colin Hynard.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Couldn't agree more!

[@davedawson9851]

I'm subbed now so I can find out what happened. Hopefully EA will be able to identify the problem.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks for sticking around mate, fingers crossed we all get some answers!

[@r31fishing]

Awful. thanks for bringing this to our attention keep us updated!

[@adventurefishinguk]

It’s really terrible isn’t it. Thanks for watching and supporting!

[@nicholasmoore6716]

This is a bad time of year for this to happen. Firstly fish are spawning so we'll lose a batch of new fry. Secondly the water is warming now and warmer water holds less oxygen. The canal also seems to have huge weed growth and at this time of year something called 'dawn depletion' can kick in. All in all a perfect storm which could be lethally exacerbated by a thoughtless farmer trying to save a few quid under cover of darkness. Im so angry that this still happens.

[@adventurefishinguk]

It makes me really angry too. There’s never a good time for something like this to happen but you’re right it’s hit at a particularly bad point. What a massive shame, I wonder if it was accidental or on purpose

[@nicholasmoore6716]

Hard to say but there will be an investigation. If it was accidental they're more likely to find it, if on the other hand it was deliberate the chances are it was done in the dark with the tracks long since covered.

[@adventurefishinguk]

@@nicholasmoore6716 very true!

[@ds9642]

Devastating. Can take years to recover from something like that

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know. Truly heartbreaking, hopefully it clears up and has a fighting chance at being what it once was

[@TheMick209]

We had a very similar problem on the river Welland last year. Hot conditions made weed growth crazy, just a small channel for fish to navigate. Water abstraction meant low flow or nothing. No rain meant low water levels. Clear water and heavy weed. Water oxygen levels taken by EA showed approaching catastrophe. No oxygen at the bottom, low levels at the surface. We then had cloudy conditions after for a few days. Weed produced oxygen in sunlight, stripped it in the night or in cloudy conditions. The cloudy period meant that was it. Paddle boarders I see on the day we're showing me dead Bream around them. I see many myself. Witnesses found pike, carp, everything else. Just no point buying a club book now. Nothing to say it will be restocked, nothing in place to say how it may be prevented in the future. If its a commercial venue they seem able to help. There is alot that can be done to prevent this. Conservation of water for farmers so they are not reliant on river water. Dredging removes silt, keeps the venue less shallow, therefore less weed growth and takes longer for it to strangulate oxygen levels. Even if they dredge and deepen some areas, it may increase chances. Poorly managed at the moment

[@adventurefishinguk]

Really sad that that happened Mick. makes it a bit more palletable that it was because of natural causes though. In this instance farm slurry has been confirmed as the cause

[@robj4881]

Horrific. The EA need to find out what caused this and seriously hammer the offender(s). You did the right thing reporting this but it made me so sad. Apart from the fish stock this will have huge environmental aquatic impact in that area. The EA need to clean it up - it is what we pay our rod licence charges for after all.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Still under investigation apparently!

[@robasher8788]

Absolutely disappointed and sickened to see this I hope whoever is responsible the environmental agency’s hang them out to dry and fine the hell out of them I truly do all I can say is Thankyou and respect for what you doing

[@adventurefishinguk]

I couldn’t agree more Whoever is responsible needs to be dealt with properly otherwise it will keep happening. Thanks for the support

[@PG_FISHING]

Farmers do this on purpose, it saves them money just to dump slurry in the rivers and canals. Where i live in northern Ireland our local rivers get the same treatment, one of the farmers was heard saying he doesn't mind paying a fine because it still works out cheaper for him. Our rivers and lakes used to be teaming with fish, now it's just not the same 👎🏻

[@adventurefishinguk]

What a disgusting thing for him to have said. I did wonder if it costs to dispose of slurry, that makes a lot of sense as an explanation. More needs to be done and punishments definitely needs to be made more substantial

[@rovingrods]

Good on you for exposing this, even though its hearbreaking👌

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks mate, really tough to go and film but it’s important to document these things in my opinion

[@davidbamber6795]

If this is not the first time this has happened, where are the Environment agency and what are they doing.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Unfortunately they are massively under reporting it. They have been on the case though with some aerators

[@WFAEXPLOREWITHME]

Wow that horrible to see , I hope you can track who done it and take the right actions , hopefully stocks can sort themselves out . Fingers crossed 👍

[@adventurefishinguk]

I really hope so too mate. Whoever has done it needs to be held accountable

[@craigfogg9479]

Shocking so sad twice maybe accidently but three times they just dont give a fuck terrible 😤

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know, even the second time should’ve never happened. A mistake is only a mistake the first time, any more is either malicious or plain stupid

[@familyfishinggb8178]

Seen a lot of comments about the farmer and slurry on Facebook etc, on a positive note Smoothounds are about but not in loads of numbers at Halfmoon bay now.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Me too. As for the smooth hounds, hopefully I’ll be able to head out targeting them over the next few weeks 🤞

[@ivanribolovac2469]

Something like that happend several years at my town in Croatia on River Korana (not so many fish dead like there but close) and no one doing nothing!! :( And big catfishes and Barbels were dead!

[@adventurefishinguk]

That's a huge shame. Really sad to hear this happens all over the world

[@jamietaylor8085]

Being involved in the agriculture industry and being a keen angler I can see the deviation it’s caused. I’ve spread slurry many of times near a water course. This must have been a substantial amount to cause this mess. Not knowing the circumstances of how it was ended up in the river I would hazard a guess a pipe has burst on a umbilical system and it has leached into the course. Although I can’t say for definite. But 3 times in numerous years should not be happening. I don’t think we should tar farms all with the same brush because a lot of people complete this job successfully without even having a incident.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Still under investigation apparently! The word digestate has been thrown around a bit, does that mean anything to you?

[@michaelodwyer5305]

A very very big fine would stop this from happening. Not a slap on the wrist.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Couldn’t agree more. It’s time people started taking this more seriously!

[@Borse53]

I live on the lanky, my house backs onto it so it’s my regular spot for fishing, absolutely devastating news, hopefully they can get it sorted and slowly build the fish stock back up in there

[@adventurefishinguk]

Really heartbreaking isn’t it! Hopefully we find out who’s responsible and that they’re dealt with properly. This can’t happen again

[@adventurefishinguk]

Really heartbreaking isn’t it! Hopefully we find out who’s responsible and that they’re dealt with properly. This can’t happen again

[@sheppeyfishtales]

Terrible. Nice one for documenting it though. Something similar happened at my local river where food waste had been discharged from a factory and it killed thousands of fish. River has recovered to some extent but still not what it was. Still waiting to see if anyone is held accountable... 2 years later 😔

[@adventurefishinguk]

I fear the same will happen and it will get swept under the rug. Hopefully we get the names of those responsible! I feel like it will take many years to fully recover 😔

[@tadhghayden8440]

If that event had happened where I currently I live. I I would have recorded some footage and brought itt on to the local radio TV networks. There was a spillage on the river wid here in Essex and it was duely reported to the look east BBC network to be made public. Which it was..Is there a local fishing club that can be galvanised?....Wildlife is currently having a very hard time in this country . More so than the rest of Europe....maybe even contact the spring watch programme....As the legislature stands for now it is a cheaper option for some unscrupulous farmers to dump their sewage and pay the fine rather than dispose of it in the correct manner...... Shocking!! Yea the eels are the last big fish to go as they can resort to semi air breathing.....

[@adventurefishinguk]

Such a huge shame, it’s a stretch run by the pike anglers club so hopefully if it needs to be taken further I’d have their support. It’s been touched on by BBC but massively understated, I’ve emailed it on to a few more news companies too so hopefully I’ll hear back

[@rollingnome]

It costs the environment agency a ton of money to pursue through the courts. This is why they're reluctant to go to court. They're under funded too. But still contact them, especially as there are dead fish in those numbers.

[@adventurefishinguk]

They attended and took water samples. As for them taking any sort of legal action I’m doubtful. I hope it doesn’t lead to a small fine and a slap on the wrist

[@OnTheBait]

This happened to a stretch of river called the little Holland a few years ago. Turned out it was the chemicals that were used on the crops on the surrounding fields and after a heavy down pour the chemicals made its way into the river and decimated most of the fish.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Horrible isn't it, this is probably something similar!

[@OnTheBait]

@AdventureFishingUK I don't want to get to political but they are at fault. These chemicals were banned and for some reason they aloud farmers to go back to the cheaper poison alternative that also kill bee's.

[@simonpritchard6074]

Absolutely disgusting..whoever is found responsible should also be starved of oxygen. Must have been awful to witness..Many years ago I was a member of the ACA..Anglers cooperative Society. The membership funds went towards prosecuting polluters of our rivers..not sure if they're still going. Really good that you shared this.

[@adventurefishinguk]

It was really heartbreaking to see, Still under investigation apparently!

[@kandykush4204]

As an angler this is heartbreaking! Im sure the Environment Agency will fine whoever did this and put a chunk of the money back into restocking and cleaning up! I’ve seen it a couple of times in the north west, one was an overflowing cesspit that nearly destroyed a local lake, it was a local pub that did it and they were made to pay! Hope the area recovers quickly🤞

[@adventurefishinguk]

I really hope so. I believe there will be a prosecution, but the extent of it remains to be seen. A big fine would be getting off lightly

[@Mark-on9fl]

Have you reached out to the Angling Trust they are very good and supportive 👍🏻👍🏻

[@adventurefishinguk]

I haven’t but I will today thanks for the suggestion

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Very sad George 🤨. Sickening

[@adventurefishinguk]

I know Rick. Really breaks my heart seeing a whole ecosystem wiped out like that. Hope whoever is responsible gets more than just a slap on the wrist and a small fine

[@derekbradley-balmer3056]

The EA will classify that as a minor incident. And will do nothing. (arguably because of lack of funding). This isn't even a rare occurrence, happens daily and will continue to happen daily.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Still under investigation apparently!

[@vole12]

The EA are toothless it seems . I hoped this was a thing of the past . They allowed my river to get choked by sewage last year .

[@adventurefishinguk]

They definitely need to start taking more significant action otherwise things like this will keep happening

[@nicholasmoore6716]

Slurry spills remove all the oxygen resulting in a rapid kill. The EA should be busying themselves with oxygenators, but as usual they'll be at their useless best. Keep me posted please, good luck. Nick

[@adventurefishinguk]

Thanks Nick, yeah aerators would’ve really helped. Instead they took a few water samples and left. Far more they could’ve done I imagine but instead they’re off electro fishing zander.

[@bigupyourself]

@@adventurefishinguk and catfish

[@random_acuity9203]

I remember something similar back In the early 90s, walking along the canal in Lancaster and seeing hundreds of dead fish! Hopefully this gets sorted soon.

[@adventurefishinguk]

I really hope so too

[@EzeAdventurer]

This is heartbreaking man. Heavy fine to the farm owner, to cover costs of cleaning the water and maybe re-introducing fish into the system. They should be accountable to restore the area to 100% level.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Terrible to see isn't it, 9 months on and it's still under investigation apparently

[@EzeAdventurer]

@@adventurefishinguk BS bro...

[@urbanexoticuk]

I would love to come and help some fish as I have a level 2 husbandy and fisherys ,fish breeding and fish care and aquatics back ground

[@adventurefishinguk]

You should contact the EA and offer your support

[@urbanexoticuk]

@@adventurefishinguk i have tried in the past they ignore me

[@urbanexoticuk]

@@adventurefishinguk have u got a phone number the pollution got down to garstang

[@Domen927]

I cant believe it

[@adventurefishinguk]

Me neither, really heartbreaking

[@shaunfishes101]

I used to fish our local rivers here in south west wales. But like a lot of us have given it up due to a big decline in fish stock. I believe the fish are best left alone to recover. Sadly the down side is less eyes on the water. We have seen a big increase in pollution. A friend of mine who still fishes the water has witnessed pollution, and contacted EA. Nothing was done. And I have heard that the fines are so small that it does not effect the offenders. I think who ever caused this problem on this video, if found out will be prosecuted. mainly due to it being highlighted on your video. And the EA will have to take action. But there are so many more that will not even get a visit from any authority.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Huge shame isn't it, 9 months on and it's still under investigation apparently!

[@johnmaskell5124]

That is sad to see. It makes you realise how productive the canal was until this happened. So many big previously healthy fish destroyed.

[@adventurefishinguk]

Very true. What was even worse is that fishing wasn’t allowed directly in the marina, only just from the towpath. This means for years it’s been a sort of refuge or safe haven for fish to be in and to spawn in. Heartbreaking