TWAITE shad have migrated up the River Severn for the first time in 180 years thanks to a new fish pass installed at Diglis Weir on the mighty Midlands waterway.
In centuries gone by, large numbers of the rare species would run up the Severn each spring to reach their spawning grounds in the upper river, but their numbers plummeted after weirs and other man-made barriers were built in the 1840s.
Dr Catherine Gutmann Roberts, part of the Unlocking the Severn project which installed the fish pass, said:
“It’s so exciting. A fish pass like this one will not only allow shad to move through, but a whole range of species, including barbel! There’s also a viewing gallery on the pass, where you can watch the fish swim by. This will offer the public a unique chance to learn about wildlife they’re usually totally disconnected from.”