Oldbury canal fish deaths may stop anglers

Anglers may be forced to stop fishing along a waterway in Sandwell following the death of thousands of fish.

Hundreds of members of a club who have been fishing a stretch of canal in Oldbury for 10 years said they would be unwilling to restock the waterway unless it can be guaranteed fish would be safe.

They fear having to leave the Titford Canal and Pools, if assurances from the Environment Agency and British Waterways cannot be delivered.

Up to 5,000 fish including perch, carp and roach had been released into the canal by the Langley Ward Conservative Club fishing club.

Members have rented a licence to fish along the canal from the locks near an old pumphouse.

Club secretary Terry Grainger, aged 64, believes up to 90 per cent of the fish have died after oxygen levels in the water plummeted.

Talks were going to be held between the club and officials to discover what happened but Environment Agency officers believe algae in the water may have suffocated the fish.

Mr Grainger said: "We need to know what has happened and if it will be reoccurring because otherwise we can't fish really fish down there.

"Plus if we restocked the canal and the same thing happened again then it would be bad for all the fish and it would be throwing good money after bad.

"It looks a right mess up there at the moment and you can still see dead fish."

British Waterways confirmed staff were on site yesterday.

Spokeswoman Sarah Rudy said: "Further testing is being carried out into what caused the dangerously low oxygen levels in the water which resulted in so many fish dying.

"British Waterways would have no objections to the Langley Ward Conservative Club continuing to fish along the canal and would actively encourage the club to apply for consent from the Environment Agency to restock sections of the canal which have been affected by this incident."

By Andrew Turton