NEW efforts have been made to increase the fish population in the rivers of North Yorkshire.
Thousands of fish have been introduced into tributaries of the rivers Rye and Derwent to boost stocks.
The Environment Agency has placed almost 10,000 fish in the waters - which have suffered significantly from pollution or other water-quality problems in the past.
However, the water condition has now improved significantly for the agency to be confident of the survival of the new arrivals.
The receiving waters have been the Dion Drain near Bubwith, Prior Beck near Malton and the River Rye near East Ness.
The fish are specially bred one and two-year-old bream, barbel and chub from the agency's fish farm in Nottinghamshire.
Fisheries management officer Shaun McGinty said: "We are deliberately stocking to kickstart fish populations which have suffered in the past, but now have better water quality and better habitat to ensure their survival.
"Most of the fish are currently relatively small, but they will grow and breed and eventually provide a boost to the fish population of the while Derwent catchment area."
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