A LAKELAND trout farm has closed after nearly 20 years because it caused too much phosphate pollution.

Hawkshead Trout Farm on Esthwaite Water – a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – was shut down by its owner Nigel Woodhouse last week following drawn out negotiations with Natural England.

The agency sought the closure of the farm under the European Union’s Water Frame-work Directive after the lake became vulnerable to ‘algal bloom’ pollution.

Such blooms are known to be caused by excessive amounts of phosphates, produced in the excrement of the intensively farmed fish.

But Mr Woodhouse vowed the closure was not the end of his fishery business, which attracts 25,000 ‘fisherman visits’ every year.

“Although the trout farm has closed, rod and line fishing will carry on at the fishery.

“In fact, it will be an even better experience because I plan to introduce rainbow trout and more brown trout from local fish farms.

"Migrating sea trout and salmon will also come back as the water becomes cleaned up, enhancing the spawn-ing grounds.”

Mr Woodhouse, who is chairman of the Soil Association’s organic aquaculture standards committee, described Esthwaite Water as ‘the most significant stocked lake in the North West region – a national asset for the angling community’.

He said: “I am sad, of course, to see the trout farm close. I started it in 1980 to supply fish to the local restaurants and hotels and it has been very successful.

“However, the environmental issues the trout farm threw up conflicted with my personal interests in the organic food move-ment and because of that I am at peace with this development.”

Mr Woodhouse said it was fitting that nearby Sawrey Hotel, his first ever customer for farmed trout back in 1981, was also his last, taking delivery of the final consignment of trout on Sunday.