The Environment Agency is set to deliver 250 fish to an Oxfordshire fishery later this week.

As part of the agency's winter fish restocking programme, 250 barbel will be released into the River Thames at Ferry Lane Fishery in Goring at 10am on Friday, December 6.

Some of these barbel have been marked with blue dye, allowing their development to be tracked by future anglers who catch them.

This initiative is part of the second year of a three-year programme to restock a total of 750 marked barbel into the River Thames below Goring weir.

The Environment Agency's annual programme aims to boost fish populations as the weather turns colder.

Rivers, still waters, and local clubs across the country are being stocked with batches of juvenile fish.

Catch reports from anglers indicate barbel in the River Thames are getting bigger, with fewer smaller barbel being caught.

Peter Gray, the Environment Agency's area fisheries manager, said: "This year’s carefully coordinated releases on South East rivers and still waters provides an amazing opportunity to further increase fish numbers and help our local angling clubs.

"Through our breeding programme we are enhancing fishing at popular fisheries like Goring by boosting stocks and providing even more opportunities for anglers.

“We work closely with our partners to protect and enhance local fish populations.

"We do this by responding to reports of fish in distress, gathering evidence at pollution incidents, protecting or enhancing habitats for fish, improving angling access and addressing barriers to fish migration.”

This year alone, 22,650 fish, including species such as chub, dace, barbel, roach, tench, and carp have been restocked at 17 different fisheries and waters in the Thames Valley.

Nationally, the number of fish reared from the Environment Agency’s Calverton Fish Farm in Nottinghamshire during 2023/24 to boost populations in fisheries around the country is 478,937.

All rod licence income is used to fund work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries.

Anglers are asked to report any captures of marked barbel to help the Environment Agency gather information on their survival, growth rates, and movement.

Photos should be taken on both sides of the fish, and a record of the length and weight should be made if possible.

This information should then be sent to FBG.Thames@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Restocking occurs in winter because water temperatures are low, minimising any stress on the fish and giving them the best possible survival rates.

It also enables them to acclimatise to their new surroundings ahead of their spawning season in the spring.

The fish are all bred and raised at the Environment Agency’s Calverton Fish Farm near Nottingham.