120 carp saved from dried out Falmer Pond near Brighton

Falmer Pond in East Street, Falmer, has been dwindling since July with people witnessing dozens of dead fish struggling to survive in the “shallow puddle”.

People organised to meet at the pond on Sunday to save fish and discuss how to stop it drying out in the future.

It came after Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed that it would not be trying to refill the pond to save the dying non-native fish, which are believed to be ghost and common carp.

Rescuing fish at the dried up pond

Matt Thompsett, 64, who organised the meeting, said: “The response was beyond my wildest dreams, I think it’s just caught people’s emotions and imaginations.

“We struck gold, someone who came down had a friend who owns three large lakes with no fish in near Hurstpierpoint so around 90 fish have been taken there. It was perfect, there is no risk of their health being affected.

“We wanted to make sure wherever they went, they couldn’t get out into a natural water course. That’s a high risk thing for their health.

Many of the fish were relocated to a lake in Hurstpierpoint

"What I wanted to get across in some level is that we can't just expect the council to do and pay for everything. That's a national thing.

"Communities need to get involved with their wild places and take ownership. We need to become part of the solution.

"If we want these wild places protected, we have to get involved and pull our sleeves up."

The Argus reported last month on fish struggling to survive in Queen’s Park pond in West Drive, Brighton.

A trench was also dug within the pond

The council confirmed these were “illegally dumped” and the pond was unsuitable for fish.

It said Falmer Pond is also unsuitable for fish to live in but confirmed that a joint bid has been made with South Downs National Park for funding to restore the pond by removing silt in the bottom and fixing leaks.

Almost 30 people turned up on Sunday and they have now started a Friends of Falmer Pond group to help protect it in the future.

Some of the "massive carp"

Matt, from Falmer, added: “The main thing was to agree why we were doing it. The consensus was not just something that looks good in photographs but to create an eco-system. We wanted to do our bit to help protect the planet.

“We have also formed a group called Friends of Falmer Pond, people have offered to put up funds, organise events, planting, surveys, all sorts of good ideas.

“We got fish out and we also dug channels in the pond so the ones we couldn’t catch had a decent depth of water to swim in.”

The pond was drying up to a "shallow puddle"

A council spokesman said: “We were unable to retrieve the fish from Falmer Pond for a number of legal and logistical reasons. 

“But we very much understood the good intentions of the people who were involved in trying to retrieve them.  

“Our park rangers sought assurances that the fish were going to be taken to a safe place consistent with Environment Agency guidance, and encouraged the people involved to carry out risk assessments to ensure their own safety. 

Dead fish in the pond on July 28

“We are keen to work with the Friends of Falmer Pond group on a more formal basis in the future on this and on other issues that may arise.

“Our park rangers are integral to the upkeep of our parks and ponds. By working with local community groups we will ensure that our parks remain brilliant places to visit.   

“Ultimately the situation with the pond has been caused by the long spell of hot weather.

“It will almost certainly fill up again when some regular rainfall returns.  

“But the level of Falmer pond is concerning and demonstrates the scale of the drought we are facing across the region.  

“A lottery funding bid has been submitted aimed at improving Falmer Pond and making it more resilient to drought conditions.”

For more information on the group, visit www.friendsoffalmerpond.org