This year's Small Fish Surveys at Rye Harbour

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, 10 August 2026
This year's Small Fish Surveys at Rye Harbour
Small Fish Survey © Rich Bradley

Sarah Ward

Conservation Officer - Marine

Every year Sussex Wildlife Trust teams up with colleagues at the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) to undertake small fish surveys in the near-shore sea at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. We undertake these surveys to gain an understanding of the health of the small inshore fish population; this is important to the wider health of the ecosystem, with many of the species found being juvenile commercially important species. 

The area is also designated as a marine Special Protection Area (SPA): Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SPA. This SPA specifically protects a range of coastal / sea birds, many of which rely on small fish in the near-shore area as their principal source of food.

Small Fish Survey © Rich Bradley

We aim to survey twice a year, in early and late summer. This year, tide times and busy diaries shifted our first survey to August, with a second planned in September. This is important to consider when analysing the data due to fish and bird breeding seasons.

Our survey consists of hauling a seine net on a falling tide. This is a long net which is walked out to sea by one end, then brought back round to shore to create a circle in which to catch the fishes. We then transfer the catch into aerated buckets, they are then identified and measured, before being released back to sea.

Small Fish Survey © Rich Bradley

This year our catch consisted predominantly of Bass, mullets and Clupeids (a group of a few species of small silvery fish). We also found a few species of flat fishes and some Lesser Weever Fish (these need to be handled with care due to their venomous spines). We were encouraged to catch a good number of fishes, some of which were fairly sizeable for the inshore.

We love being able to work collaboratively with the Sussex IFCA, and many thanks to our excellent volunteers, Nick, Martin and Rich.

NB Please be aware that this survey took place before the suspected avian botulism outbreak was recorded on the reserve

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