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£11.8m project to install eel screens begins on the River North Tyne
Overview
A two-year, £11.8m project has started to install eel screens at the Barrasford raw pumping station on the River North Tyne in Northumberland. Managed by Northumbrian Water, the initiative aims to protect critically endangered European eels from entering station workings, following a similar project at the Ovingham pumping station.
Key points
- An £11.8m project has begun to install protective eel screens at Barrasford raw pumping station on the River North Tyne.
- The two-year project is being carried out by Northumbrian Water to prevent European eels from entering the station workings.
- The initiative follows a similar £11m project started in February for screens at the Ovingham pumping station on the Tyne.
- European eels have been classified as critically endangered since 2008, with populations declining by 90-95% since the 1980s due to factors including climate change, habitat loss, and overfishing.