Britain's rarest freshwater fish could be making a comeback

Two adult vendace, a fish that is a relic from the last ice age, have been found in Bassenthwaite Lake in northwest England after more than a decade of being declared ‘locally extinct’.

The finding was the result of an annual fish survey of the Bassenthwaite Lake led by Dr Ian Winfield from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, which has been monitoring the fish community in the lake since 1995, first in collaboration with Environment Agency and now with United Utilities.

During the 2013 fish survey, a single young vendace was recorded. Dr Winfield says this is good news for wildlife in the lake: “Finding adult vendace in 2014 following the recording of a young fish in 2013 is excellent news giving great encouragement to everyone involved in the restoration of Bassenthwaite Lake and its fantastic wildlife.”

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Britain’s rarest freshwater fish reappears in Bassenthwaite Lake after 10 year absence

Vendace reappears in Bassenthwaite

October 2013. Britain's rarest freshwater fish, the Vendace, has made an unexpected reappearance in Bassenthwaite Lake in north-West England more than a decade after being declared ‘locally extinct'. 

1 juvenile caught

A fish community survey of Bassenthwaite Lake which took place this autumn recorded a single young vendace specimen. The small size of the fish, only 54 mm in length, makes it likely to be an underyearling which hatched during the spring of this year.

Dr Ian Winfield from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology led this autumn's survey. He said, "This finding of a single Vendace individual is a very pleasant surprise and gives great encouragement to everyone involved in the restoration of Bassenthwaite Lake and its fantastic wildlife."

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