Feature

Leap of Faith

Many of us take the rivers which run through our towns, villages and countryside for granted, but one initiative is determined to stem this flow of apathy.

The River Teign Restoration Project was set up in February 2021 to reverse the decline in the number of salmon returning to the rivers Teign and Bovey to spawn. But - and co-project manager Geoff Stephens could not be any more emphatic about this - it is ‘not all about fishing! I’m forever making sure people understand that.’

It was, however, anglers who were first alerted to the issue. ‘They are around the river more than most other people, for long periods of the year,’ Geoff continues. ‘And they closely observe it. They are interested in the river environment because, of course, they want clean water. Clean in all respects. But this is a project for everyone and everything that lives in and near the rivers.’ Rising on Dartmoor and reaching the English Channel at Teignmouth, the River Teign is over 30 miles long.

Since the ice age, every winter salmon have made the upstream migration from the Atlantic to the river in which they was born in order to spawn. Until relatively recent times there were many, many making this heroic odyssey. ‘But the number of returning salmon has been diminishing year on year for the last four decades. Historically there were many, many salmon in the river, more than enough to feed people from the source to the mouth. At one time there were several netting stations at the Teign estuary and now there are none. It was common to see he magnificent sight of salmon leaping in the river as they swam upstream. Not any more.’ It was the Teign Angling and Conservation Association (TACA) which first set out to tackle the problem, forming an alliance with the National Trust, Environment Agency and West Country Rivers Trust, all of whom have the health and ecology of the river at the heart of their involvement. After securing funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The River Teign Restoration Project was born. The fouryear scheme is not only investigating why the river is no longer a destination for salmon, but what can be done to change that. And it’s something, Geoff explains, we should all be worried about.

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‘The river is an entire ecosystem. If there’s a robust, unpolluted habitat, then nature will flourish. A good stock of salmon means there will be a good stock of sea trout and a good stock of eels; which, in turn, means that creatures further up the food chain, like otters and kingfishers, can thrive. Not forgetting insects like dragon flies.’ Raising awareness about the problems is key to the project’s success. While Bournemouth and Plymouth Universities are participating in the science side - researching things like juvenile fish mortality - much work is done in engaging local schools and communities, from productions by the MED theatre to drawings and sculptures from internationally-renowned local artist Peter Randall-Page - both official project partners. There is even a year-long exhibition in Castle Drogo’s Gun Room dedicated to the enterprise. ‘We’ve had some fantastic support,’ Geoff says, ‘but individuals can really help too. Even becoming a River Watcher and just looking at the river as you take your daily walk and reporting back anything that seems out of the ordinary, like litter or a tree blocking the current. And there are lots of volunteering opportunities, such as river-fly monitoring, assisting with the removal of barriers to migration, cleaning up spawning gravels and waterquality sampling.’ But Geoff is also keen for people to really appreciate the repercussions their own lives and actions have on the welfare of the river. ‘Global warming, of course, is a huge factor. Salmon are a cold water fish and spend two or three years of their life at sea. For their eggs to survive in the river they need water temperatures to fall below 12 degrees centigrade. Salmon become very stressed when summer temperatures reach 18 degrees and this year we recorded temperatures of 17.5 degrees. ‘And there’s also the impact from pollutants generated by industry and agriculture, untreated or partly-treated sewage released into rivers. Abstraction from rivers and waste of water also has an impact. But we mustn’t forget other, individual actives that you might not have even thought about. Like the salt, grit and tyre-rubber from roads ending up in the river. ‘We all know about the dangers of pesticides, but how many dog owners understand that when their dogs swim in the river, the flea and tick treatments that they may have recently applied is washed off, and because the treatments contain insecticides it can kill juvenile and adult insects that live in the river? These insects are food for young salmon

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and birds such as dipper and wagtail. Many also don’t realise that the erosion of banks where dogs enter the rivers can contribute to the siltation of the gravels where salmon deposit their eggs, and as a consequence many of the eggs don’t survive.

‘On a summer’s day it’s great seeing people in the river, but what does Mum do before the kids get in? Covers them with factor 50 - and, again, the chemicals from that stay in the water. And those lovely deep, shaded pools which are so refreshing to take a dip into, well they are areas where the salmon rest on their arduous journey back up the river.’

The stark truth is that, unless something is done about the water quality and conditions, the salmon in the River Teign are at risk of becoming extinct all together. And with that will come the demise of the river’s ancient heritage and innumerable species of flora and fauna.

As Geoff concludes: ‘Our project is vital to protect the river, its salmon and other fish species, all its other wildlife - insects, birds and mammals - and it’s stunning surroundings now and for future generations.’ For more information and a list of volunteer opportunities visit: riverteignrestorationproject.co.uk