A BATCH of 18-month-old fish have been released into the River Thames as part of a three year Environment Agency project to boost barbel numbers and improve river habitats.
The 1,500 barbel were released last week at Cricklade, Castle Eaton and Hannington Bridge.
The fish have been marked with small blue spots on their belly to help the EA keep track of how the population is developing in the coming years.
Anglers have been asked to report any catches of barbel which show the distinctive blue spots.
EA fisheries officer Jim Seymour said there was a number of reasons for the decline in barbel numbers including predation, silting of gravels and the loss of spawning and nursery habitats.
The EA has implemented a programme of habitat restoration to improve and create spawning grounds.
"This is the third consecutive year of barbel stocking on the Upper Thames and our surveys have shown promising survival rates," said Mr Seymour.
"If anyone is lucky enough to catch a barbel, and it is marked, we would like to hear about it."
Fully grown barbels are a large fish with a British angling record of just over 20lbs in weight.
To report a catch go to environment-agency.gov.uk
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