RIVERS in the North-East are being restocked with a once-plentiful species of fish in an attempt to boost natural populations.

While strongholds of grayling remain in the region, loss of habitat and pollution means other rivers have seen numbers dwindle.

To replenish stocks, 6,000 fish were yesterday released into two rivers.

The Environment Agency restocked Clow Beck, in Darlington, as well as the River Pont, in Northumberland, with fish that were reared at its farm in Nottinghamshire.

The release comes after the agency undertook work to improve water quality and habitats at both rivers.

Clow Beck flows into the River Tees, near Darlington, and has recently had two fish passes constructed.

The agency, together with the Tees Rivers Trust, has improved about two kilometres of the river habitat for grayling.

The stocking on the River Pont was done around Stamfordham, Matfen and Eachwick to boost fish stocks in areas that have previously suffered from pollution incidents.

The fish were introduced by agency fisheries officers Paul Frear and Gareth Pedley.

Mr Frear said: “We are pleased with the way the restoration of these watercourses have gone and it is now time to help fish stocks recover.

“It is good news for local anglers as there should be a wider variety of healthy adult fish to catch next season.”

Ben Lamb, from the Tees Rivers Trust, said: “The introduction of the grayling into Clow Beck is great and the work by the both ourselves and the Environment Agency will give this species a kick start in the watercourse.

“Over the next three years, we will be monitoring fish populations and invertebrates in the beck and we will be able to track the success of the grayling and their subsequent generations.”

The grayling are one year old.

It is hoped that some of them will begin to spawn in the spring of 2013.

It is hoped that by stocking these young fish over the next few years, the population of grayling in the rivers will return to healthy numbers.