Reject goldfish found

CONSERVATIONISTS thought there was something fishy afoot when they drained a popular pond.

For there at the bottom was the unexpected sight of goldfish - unwanted family pets.

It is believed the handful of fish were dumped in Gulpher Pond at Felixstowe by owners who no longer wanted them.

Felixstowe Society volunteer conservation worker Alan Muchal said it was fairly common for people to get rid of fish in this way.

He said: “The pond has never had fish in it and because of the large number of ducks using it the water was always polluted and they ate the weed which would have produced oxygen for fish to survive.”

As the pond was drained though a few goldfish were found. A couple of these buried themselves in the mud and the others were left in the area which was not drained.

Mr Muchal said: “We were not draining the whole pond so those few fish could stay in it while we worked and should be all right. “It is not possible to say exactly where they have come from but our feeling is they must have been put their by people who no longer wanted them and didn't know how else to dispose of them.”

Over the past few days, huge amounts of silt have been removed from the pond in Gulpher Road in order to deepen it and stop it drying out.

The pond has been used by the community for more than 200 years - first as a watering hole for farm horses, while its ducks and moorhens have been enjoyed by generations of children.

The Felixstowe Society was helped by engineering firm TWS Ltd, which carried out the dredging free of charge, and farmer John Adams, who owns the land on which the pond sits and allowed the silt to be spread on his land.

The society is planning a working party soon to complete conservation work around the pond's banks.

WEBLINK: www.twsfelixstowe.co.uk.

What do you think of the pond project? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk