EXPERTS have come up with the unique solution of using unwanted Christmas trees to create better spawning habitats for the fish in Tyneside’s Killingworth Lake.
In a joint venture with the local angling club and North Tyneside Council, Christmas trees will be collected by the council at sites around the district for a limited time. The trees will be tied together with biodegradebale hessian string and sunk at points throughout the lake – with a little help from the Agency’s resident Father Christmas.
The new features should improve spawning habitats for the fish in Killingworth Lake while offering a habitat that enhances feeding and refuge for a variety of fish.
Christmas trees make inexpensive but effective underwater structures. They are easy to place in the lake and they last for several years. More importantly, their branching patterns offer something to fish of all shapes and sizes.
Local anglers should quickly benefit from the scheme according to Agency project manager Michael Donkin: “Hopefully the fish will take to these new structures and quickly put them to use.
“Killingworth Lake is the largest still-water fishery in Newcastle and we hope that better fish stocks will encourage more anglers to spend time here.
“This site was specially chosen because it is so close to a large urban population and it is easily accessible by public transport too, so we hope may people will benefit.”
Mr Donkin added that the Killingworth Lake structure was an organised project and urged people not to dump unwanted Christmas trees in lakes, ponds and waterways as it could lead to problems like flooding.