Save Ilkley Tarn

Help us prevent the council replacing the ducks at Ilkley tarn with frogs and stickleback.

These changes are being marketed as bringing “life” back to the Tarn but this is disingenuous. The Tarn is actually a hotspot of biodiversity which attracts a range of species including deer, ducks, moorhens, heron, and geese. They simply want to replace the ducks with stickleback, frogs, and aquatic plants. The organization speaks wistfully of a time when the Tarn was full of frogs and toads and is using dirty water as an opportunity to remove the ducks.

But the Tarn is the perfect place for parents to feed the ducks with their children. On sunny days, the Tarn is now full of parents explaining to crying children why they can't feed the ducks. It’s also perfect for older residents with mobility issues. The Tarn water has been dirty since the early 90s and it hasn’t caused any issues yet. It’s simply too shallow for anybody to swim in so there’s no danger of accidentally drinking the water. It’s also down-stream of other water sources on the moors.

The alternative is a jetty at the bottom of concrete staircase down at the park or the disused industrial estate converted into the Ben Rhydding nature reserve. Both are a 40 minute walk and neither are accessible by push-chairs or mobility scooters. There are no benches to sit on and the waters edge are unsafe for young children. This is a huge loss and a huge step backwards for Ilkley Tarn.

We'd like to see the following changes:

• Increase quantity of water flowing through the Tarn, or dredge it, to improve its water quality
• Change the newly erected signs to encourage responsible feeding (eg. avoid feeding bread)
• Stop introduction of fish and frogs and find a more suitable location which meets their welfare needs

Please help us and together we can make a difference.

Save Our Tarn    Contact the author of the petition