Protecting Our Precious Chalk Streams and Welcoming 23,000 New Residents

I never tire of reminding people that Newbury is home to something truly rare and precious  -chalk streams. The River Kennet and River Lambourn are two of only around 200 chalk streams in the world, placing West Berkshire on the global map for environmental significance.

That’s why I was delighted to read about a new eel restocking project led by the Environment Agency, which has seen more than 23,000 rare glass eels released into the River Kennet as part of a major conservation effort. It’s part of a wider pilot scheme to boost the critically endangered European eel population, which has declined sharply across Europe since the 1980s.

The journey these tiny eels take is nothing short of extraordinary - swimming thousands of miles from the Sargasso Sea to reach the UK, before making their way up rivers like the Kennet to mature. That these ancient life cycles are still taking place in our corner of the world is a powerful reminder of why these ecosystems matter.

The Kennet is not just a local treasure, it’s an international one. But like so many of our rivers, it remains under threat from sewage pollution, runoff, climate change, and habitat loss. I’ve been consistently pressing Thames Water, Ofwat, and National Highways on their environmental responsibilities - especially regarding sewage spills and M4 runoff.

These efforts from the Environment Agency are welcome, and I want to thank the team for their work in protecting this endangered species. But we cannot rely on single initiatives to reverse decades of damage. Ongoing investment, local collaboration, and political will are vital.

Protecting our chalk streams and the wildlife they support will always be a priority for me - and this eel project is a sign of what’s possible when we care, and act.