Volunteers in East Devon fought what they described as a wildlife emergency to rescue fish suffocating in a drought-hit pond. The fish were gasping for breath and coated in hot mud.
Wildlife experts have warned people not to dump unwanted fish in local ponds after hundreds of suffocating goldfish, carp and other species were rescued from a hot mud-caked pool near Exeter, writes local democracy reporter Guy Henderson.
The pond at Poltimore, in East Devon, has been left dangerously short of water by the summer heatwave and drought. While some fish were rescued, many others were found dead around its parched edges. Hundreds more are thought to have died.
Much of the fish population is believed to have come from people dumping unwanted pet fish in the water. Those fish have bred, leaving the pond teeming with shoals including mirror carp and ghost carp.
Among the volunteer rescuers was Exeter city councillor Alison Sheridan (Reform, St Loyes), who said: "There were dead fish all around the perimeter, and those fish that were in the water were gasping for breath. They were caked in mud and it was incredibly hot."
Rescuers called the Environment Agency, saying the incident was a wildlife emergency, but no official action was taken.
Cllr Sheridan, who waded in with her son Marcus to scoop up the fish, said: "We missed the eclipse to save hundreds of fish – carp, goldfish, perch and others – that were suffocating to death in the hot mud.
"Volunteers, families and some construction workers from the Greendale Farm Shop were up to their thighs in thick mud saving well over 1,500 fish."
After more than four hours, Cllr Sheridan and her son took home more than 200 fish to recover in massive tanks in their garden, where they keep their own fish. Other people with fish tanks and ponds at home did the same.
She added: "People were confused that this wasn't being covered by the authorities as it was a wildlife emergency and around 50 ordinary people were helping or watching.
"It was a great team effort, but nothing 'official' was being done despite notification to the relevant authorities."
An Environment Agency spokesperson said that droughts were taking a toll on watercourses and the wildlife that inhabit them.
"We are putting all our efforts into rescuing fish in distress in rivers and streams where there is little to no flow and high temperatures," the spokesperson added.
Volunteers Rescue Suffocating Fish From Drought-Hit East Devon Pond