Anglers who attended an Environment Agency workshop to help boost stocks of coarse fish on the River Wear are set to have one of their wishes turned into reality.

Fisheries officers will be introducing around 200 bream in the River Wear on Thursday after anglers at the workshop generated a wish-list of issues they would like to see addressed which would benefit the coarse fishery.

Stocking the River Wear with bream to help mitigate against poor spawning years, weirs causing an obstruction to fish migration and the issue of cormorants eating the fish were key priorities of the team of anglers that came together at the workshop.

The work during the workshop helped to develop the Wear Coarse Fishery Development Plan.

Environment Agency Fisheries Officer Paul Frear was tasked by the anglers to put their words into practice and he now plans to introduce 200 bream into the River Wear in Durham and Chester-le-Street.

Paul said: “The Environment Agency is pleased with the way the Wear Coarse Fishery Development Plan has come to fruition and this stocking has been the icing on the cake.

“Boosting the River Wear’s bream stocks will provide a much needed addition for anglers at a time when fish stocks have been affected by floods, cormorants and barriers to migration.”

Chester-le-Street Angling Club representative Lloyd Atkinson said: “We were delighted that the Environment Agency has carried out the wishes of our members and the bream will enhance the fishery for years to come.”