CAMPUS WORK STOPS TO ALLOW FISH TO BREED

Preparatory work on the new £35 million City Centre Campus for the University of Wales, Newport is progressing well, with initial site clearance to prepare the site, which sits on the bank of the River Usk in Newport, nearing completion.
Now, the team of contractors are preparing to leave the site for four months in respect of an embargo on building work because of the breeding season of the endangered fish species Shad. This temporary lull in construction has been built into the schedule of the new campus, which is due to open in 2010. The Shad, which is a relative of the herring, require rivers which are free of pollution and are also in direct contact with unpolluted coastal waters. The River Usk is one of only four sites in the UK where a known breeding population of Shad occurs, where water quality and quantity are favourable for this species.