History of Artificial Stocking of Salmon in the Wye and Usk
- 19th Century - A small number of Rhine fry are stocked into the Wye, probably less than 300 or less than one thousandth of one percent of the run at the time. Legend has it that this small stocking created the run of large salmon on the Wye. However, no subsequent stocking with vastly greater amounts has produced any measurable change. The myth continues however.
- Mid 1950s - A hatchery was started at Abercynrig to compensate for smolts lost in the cooling proces of Uskmouth power station. Cooling water was subsequently taken from another source. Abercynrig was subsequently used to supply smolts for the Taff to mitigate the effects of the Cardiff Bay Barrage and, since 2008, has been rearing Wye fish.
- 1974 - A hatchery is commissioned at Glasbury (Wye). Up to 350,000 fry are stocked out per year over the next 18 or so years. Incidentally, the start of the decline in Wye stocks is traceable to 1974.
- 1993 - Results of a 10-year tagging survey in Wales show a 0% return of hatchery smolts to the Wye compared to a 9.2% return of tagged wild smolts.
- 1994 - The Wye Salmon Fishery Owners Association (WSFOA) commissions a study by Dr Alasdair Stevens into the causes of problems with Wye salmon. They are advised to remove all barriers, erosion problems and water quality issues and only to consider a hatchery having corrected these issues. A CEFAS/NASCO report in 2009 came with much the same advice.
- 1995 - Green Bottom Hatchery starts in the Severn catchment to stock the Wye. Closed in
- 2001 - following poor results and indeterminate cause for deaths of brood stock and progeny.
- 1996 - Three cock fish and one 12lb hen were lifted over an illegal barrier on the Garth Dulas, an upper Wye tributary. The upper Garth Dulas was subsequently populated with fry for some 4km by this single hen fish. Survival rates of fry and parr were substantially higher than those usually experienced in a hatchery. This is an example of a very successful form of artificial stocking.
- 2002 - The Wye and Usk Foundation constructs a hatchery at Painscastle and commences a pilot rearing scheme with 8 hen and 8 cock fish. Fed-up fry are put into the upper river.
- 2003 - The catch-up is split between the Painscastle and Clywedog hatcheries. A follow-up survey shows success with the Painscastle fish, but zero survival of the Clywedog fish.
- 2004 - All caught-up fish are sent to Painscastle. The discovery of signal crayfish at Painscastle limits the number of sites that can be used for stocking out i.e. sites that don’t contain native white claw crayfish.
- 2008 - Painscastle hatchery is closed. EAW now rearing all Wye fish at Abercynrig hatchery in the Usk catchment. Current limits remain at around 30 hen and 30 cock fish.
- 2012 - A plan to release some of the hatchery bred fish via “Semi Natural Release ponds. Smolts are fin clipped to assess their return rate.
- 2013 - One fin clipped grilse caught in Wye.
- 2014 - Natural Resources Wales conducts a review of salmon hatcheries in Wales.