Students from both the Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Countryside Management and Fish Management courses have been undertaking a fish removal operation on a conservation site in Hampshire, which is highly protected due to its high population of the impressive Great Crested Newt.
The College was contracted in by Ecological Planning and Research Limited to carry out the fish removal from three ponds on the site in order to reduce the potential of fish predation on this rare species.
Over the course of three days, the ponds were partially drained, netted and fish removed from the site under the guidance of lecturers Viv Shears and Amy Marchment. In all but one of the ponds, the students came across various species of newts along with toads and frogs. It proved to be a great insight for the students in terms of dealing with a protected species and having to work under the restrictions of a DEFRA agreed licence and protocol in terms of handling these creatures.
Find out more about our Conservation courses
Find our more about our Fish Management courses