Salford Quays is a redeveloped freshwater dockland, which initially constit
uted part of the grossly polluted Manchester Docks, Manchester, UK. Such wa
ter bodies are characterized by a lack of suitable spawning sites and litto
ral refuges, and this will act to reduce fish recruitment. To redress this,
a variety of artificial spawning substrates were introduced to these water
s. Spawning structures were made from bundles of different types of thin br
ushwood suspended from the dock walls. Roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), spawned
on bundles of willow, Salix alba (L.), and spruce, Pilea abies (L.), branc
hes, whilst perch, Perca fluviatilis L., spawned on bundles of willow, syca
more, Acer pseudoplatanus (L.), spruce and plastic netting. Unused bundles
were made up of lime, Tilia platyphyloss (Scop.), pear willow, Pyrus salici
tolia (Pall.), and laurel, Laurus nobilis (L.). Perch spawning began around
20 May and showed a preference for open structures (between one and three
ribbons per bundle). Roach spawning began about 10 days after perch and sho
wed a preference for dense bundles of spruce (geometric mean egg density 1.
5 cm(-2) spruce). The use of such structures in fisheries management is dis
cussed.