Status of freshwater fish habitat science in Great Britain

Abstract

The general understanding of how habitats influence populations of freshwater fishes in Great Britain is reviewed briefly as a component of a Europe-wide comparison. Great Britain, an island of temperate climate in the north west of Europe comprising the countries England, Scotland and Wales, has diverse aquatic habitats but a relatively impoverished freshwater fish fauna. Recreational rod-and-line fisheries for certain salmonids and non-salmonids termed coarse fish are valuable components of the economies of the countries comprising Great Britain. In some cases, distribution and abundance of fish species and their population sizes are constrained by habitat degradation. There is a growing awareness of the multidimensional importance of habitat management to develop and maintain high quality fisheries. Current knowledge of fish habitat requirements is patchy; progress has been made on salmonids and some coarse fish species. Fish habitat science has an important role in integrated river catchment management, which is reflected in recent national and international legislation.