Written question WQ97133
- Asked by
- Siân GwenllianPlaid
- To be answered by
- Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 12 days
Question
Further to WQ96884, has there been an increase in Arctic char numbers following improving the spawning sites at Llanberis?
Answer
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Work to improve the Afon y Bala spawning area through channel widening and establishing stable and submerged gravels was carried out by Engie (Dinorwig Power Station) in 2021. This was part of the long-term strategy to enhance and maximise the wild char spawning habitat in Llyn Padarn.
The population of char in Padarn has been supplemented by stocking of juvenile char reared by capturing and collecting eggs and milt from wild char.
The only reliable method for estimating the size of the Arctic char population in Llyn Padarn is to undertake a hydroacoustic survey of the lake from a specialist boat. Using environmental DNA as a method to determine the proportion of char to other species may be utilised in the future.
The results of the last hydroacoustic survey by Natural Resources Wales are still being analysed by the specialist monitoring team.