A book explores the history of fish and fisheries of the freshwater reaches of the River Mersey and its tributaries, and the environmental factors that have shaped them.
It follows the development of the fisheries over the past thousand years, both for food and recreation, and the people and organisations who have been involved in them. The decline of fisheries as a direct casualty of the industrial revolution, and the recovery over the past seventy five years
It is fascinating study of relevance to all those with an interest in fish, water quality and the industrial and social history of Greater Manchester.
The book tells how fish originally arrived in the Mersey, their drastic decline during the Industrial Revolution and their reappearance and continuing recovery in recent decades, including the return of salmon to the river.
It also recounts the growth of angling as a mass participation recreational sport in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and the workers angling societies that were created alongside.
This includes the Salford Friendly Anglers Society, the longest established angling club in the UK formed in 1817 and still going strong.
The book is illustrated with numerous etchings, photographs, drawings and maps, and contains a wealth of fascinating facts and tales. It is available in hardback priced £20, with all proceeds going to Mersey Rivers Trust to support its work.
Dr Keith Hendry, Chair of Mersey Rivers Trust commented:
“We are immensely grateful to David Solomon for researching and authoring this magnificent book. Mersey Rivers Trust commissioned this book so we could better understand what fish species lived in the Mersey rivers prior to the Industrial Revolution which wiped out fish and other river wildlife. As we work with multiple partners to bring the rivers back to full health, David’s research helps us target the recovery of the fish species that historically thrived in our rivers and which we now see returning”.
.
The official book launch with the author will take place on Wednesday 2 April 2025 at 12 noon at the Friends Meeting House, Mount Street in Manchester city centre (M2 5NS).
