Our Torgoch project is underway. As part of our wider plans to conserve this ancient glacial fish, which can only be found in three Welsh lakes ( and all of them in Snowdonia) we have been out monitoring returning migratory char with NRW.

In the new year we will be working with pupils from Ysgol Waunfawr on our school egg hatchery project.

This week Walter from NRW fisheries department and the team laid out nets to catch wild native populations of char.

Overnight male and female char (as well as trout) were caught for monitoring purposes, and later returned to the river to continue their journey up stream.

Fish were measured and checked for health and returned to the river

A few native Char were stripped of eggs ready for monitoring. These will be mixed with the male milt and kept at Crawia hatchery, thanks to the Seiont, Gwyrfai and Llyfni angling club.

The eggs will be left to hatch and then taken to Ysgol Waunfawr as part of our education programme. Pupils will be able to monitor the eggs and watch them hatch before returning them to Llyn Padarn in the new year.

This project has been developed for children and young people with the aim of nurturing an appreciation and interest in aquatic life, river ecology and the natural environment. Pupils will also be able to learn about the local heritage of these ancient fish, how climate change and humans have impacted fish habitat and what they can do at home to make a difference.

Keep an eye out for our film of the project in the new year. All images copyright of North Wales Rivers Trust and videographer Hollie Harmsworth. Not to be reshared without prior permission.