Wildlife

Grayling Welfare in Chalk Streams

The grayling is a cold-water salmonid found in chalk streams and clean upland rivers, acting as an indicator of pristine freshwater quality and facing welfare pressures from water temperature rise.

Key Facts

Requires cold, highly oxygenated water for survival
Listed as a Species of Conservation Concern in UK
Feeds on invertebrates drifting in the current
Spawns in spring over gravel beds
Chalk streams are a globally rare habitat primarily found in southern England

Welfare Considerations

Rising water temperatures from climate change and reduced stream flows from abstraction push grayling beyond their thermal tolerance in summer. Siltation of gravel spawning beds from agriculture reduces reproductive success. Water quality deterioration from sewage and agriculture reduces the invertebrate prey communities they depend on.

What You Can Do

Support chalk stream restoration campaigns
Advocate for abstraction reform to maintain minimum stream flows
Donate to Wild Trout Trust chalk stream conservation
Report sewage pollution in chalk streams to the Environment Agency