Water vole leads recovery of Britain's waterways

Kingfishers are thriving, water voles surviving and otters are returning to Britain’s canals, a survey shows.

Mallard ducks, moorhens and swans were the most visible animals on 2,200 miles of canal and navigable rivers, but there were encouraging numbers of rarer creatures spotted.

The number of water voles, Britain’s most endangered mammal, which has suffered a 95 per cent decline in the past decade, has particularly heartened ecologists.

The wildlife survey was carried out for British Waterways by 6,000 members of the public, who reported sightings during the summer and autumn. They recorded more than 200 water voles.

Improved water quality has enabled creatures such as the otter to return to haunts from which it was previously driven out. Otters have recently been reported in the centre of Leeds.

Mark Robinson, ecology manager for British Waterways, said: “The thing that stuck out for me was the kingfishers. They’re a good indicator of water quality.”

This was the second year that the survey has been carried out. It was not rigorous enough for trends to be identified, but serves as an indication of the health of the waterways.

Dr Robinson said that the water vole sightings provided some reassurance that the animal was clinging on despite the presence of mink, an introduced species and the vole’s most formidable predator.

“Over 200 were spotted, which is pretty good considering it’s one of the most enendangered animals in Britain,” he said.

British Waterways will use the survey to identify areas where protected creatures can be found so that conservation efforts can be targeted better.

The Environment Agency is publishing a guide today, the Water Vole Conservation Handbook, designed to advise developers and landowners on how best to protect the creatures on their land.