Project Description

UPDATE – 2026

The groundbreaking new Kennet coarse fish hatchery opened in February 2024 as a result of the magnificent response to our call to local anglers and angling clubs to ensure we had sufficient funds to get us up and running. The running costs for feed, power and replacement parts are now working out at £6000 per year so it is important that the hatchery has a secure financial base.

The original appeal launched by the Kennet Valley Fisheries Association for project partners and donors was an outstanding success and nearly all the angling clubs and fisheries along the Kennet Valley, including Newbury AA, Civil Service AS, Red Spinners AS, CALPAC, Thatcham AA, Reading Fishing Club and ARK, came on board. These contributions have been been augmented by generous donations from Thomas Turner Ltd and the charity Fish in Need of which Paul Whitehouse and John Bailey are trustees.

 

Original Project 

The Fish in Need (FIN) registered charity have made a generous donation to support the development of a hatchery project instigated by Reading & District Angling Association to help boost fish stocks in the River Kennet. Stocks have been devastated by the growing population of signal crayfish. These crayfish, counted in the millions, prey on gravel spawning species such as barbel, chub and dace before they reach the ‘free swimming’ stage of their development. The hatchery enables fish to be ‘grown on’ to the stage where they can be released into the river in a similar manner to the highly successful Avon Roach Project without the danger of crayfish predation.

This project fits ideally with the FIN mission “to revive, rescue and restore freshwater fish populations throughout the UK”.

Angling clubs come together to give the Kennet a fishing future

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even before DEFRA Minister Richard Benyon officially opened the groundbreaking new coarse fish hatchery on February 16th last year the response from local anglers and angling clubs had been magnificent. With running costs for feed, power and replacement parts now coming in at £6000 to £7000 and year it was obviously vital that the hatchery established a secure financial base. With support of the Kennet Valley Fisheries Association an appeal was sent out for project partners and donors and nearly all the angling clubs and fisheries along the Kennet Valley, including Newbury AA, Civil Service AS, Red Spinners AS, CALPAC, Thatcham AA, Reading Fishing Club and ARK, came enthusiastically on board with much needed contributions.This has recently been augmented by generous donations from Thomas Turner  and Fish in Need.

 

 

Individual donations from anglers have continued to flow in and this year Reading & District AA have included an optional donation form to the hatchery for members renewing their annual permits. This has proved successful and we hope some of our partner clubs might like to consider this option too on top of their very welcome annual donations.

It has been inspiring to see anglers and angling clubs coming together in this way.