Appeal helps save hundred of fish

The community has been praised and Spalding Voice readers thanked after hundreds of fish were saved following an appeal.

Chris Walder contacted the paper last week after a
number of his 400 carp started to die after the hot weather led to the water and oxygen levels in his Seckford Lodge,

Pinchbeck, pond dropping to lethal levels.

An appeal for help online by The Voice led to Chris’s phone “going crazy” and the majority of fish being saved.

A host of people rang to offer advice or to take some of carp off of him.

Chris thanks everyone for getting in contact, but in the end he’s been able to keep the fish largely thanks to Anglian Water and Bates Environmental.

Both companies saw the appeal and rang Chris.

The water company lent him pumping gear and said he could take water from one of their reserves near Sleaford.

Transported thanks to Bates Environmental, he was able to refill his pond with around 80,000 litres of water and increase the oxygen levels.

With that and the weekend storms, the fish seem much happier and healthier.

“The response I’ve had from the local community really just blew me away,” Chris said. “The way everyone came together to help was fantastic.

“I’d like to thank everyone who got in touch.

“I had several offers to rehome them but in the end we have been able to keep them where they are.

“We now know we lost an awful lot of fish, about 150, but if wasn’t for everyone’s help it would have been a lot more.

“Anglian Water were brilliant. They picked it up online and contacted me to let me have access to the pump.

“With the help of Bates Environmental Service we made five trips transporting the water.

“If there are any further issues I have contacts for people who may take the fish on.

“The way everyone came together to help was fantastic.”