Ice Age fish found in Ennerdale Water no longer on brink of extinction

A species of fish thought to be on the brink of extinction is making a comeback in the Lake District.

A recent survey of the Arctic Charr - a species that were common in the Ice Age - has found an increase in the population in Ennerdale Water.

With money from fishing licence sales, the Environment Agency, Wild Ennerdale and the Forestry Commission have worked on a restoration project to boost the numbers. They are thought to be the last spawning in an English river.

Peter McCollough, Fisheries Officer at the Environment Agency, said: “We changed our usual ways of working this year to ensure a safe work environment but it’s great to see an increase in the population of the Arctic Charr.

"This project is a great example of how money from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fisheries”.