Peter ‘Pete’ Gough has spent the last 40 years exploring freshwater ecology, fisheries science and aquatic ecosystem management in England and Wales. Although a familiar sight on the riverbanks of Wales, he is internationally renowned in the field of river restoration.
Peter’s vision and passion for sustaining wild populations of fish has led to some major changes in how Wales manages and makes decision on the use of its rivers, estuaries and its fishery resources. He has been constant in his endeavours to promote and regulate fisheries and provide the necessary protection to vulnerable stocks.
Working in close collaboration with scientists at Swansea University, Peter was one of the first to see the negative impacts of salmon stocking on wild populations and provided the scientific evidence necessary to halt that practice in Welsh rivers.
He has been at the forefront of ensuring fish migration is considered protected and even improved as Wales seeks to utilise its freshwater resources for a range of other benefits such as renewable energy.
Peter’s positive impact on the fisheries and rivers of Wales has been particularly successful, not least at the heart of the Welsh nation’s capital, Cardiff, where he was the driving force behind the restoration of the river Taff which has been transformed from a stagnant industrial sewer to a thriving, healthy river at the heart of the community.
Peter’s technical knowledge, drive and determination has been behind many projects delivered by the Environment Agency, National Resources Wales and their partners to open up the water ways of Wales to allow for the free migration of wild fish.
Peter has also been a passionate advocate of a collaborative approach to sustainable fisheries management and ensuring that Agencies, academia, fisheries owners and associations and the public work together to address common goals. Nowhere has this been more evident than on the river Wye where Peter has worked tirelessly to support the work of the Wye and Usk Foundation, to champion a whole catchment approach to tackling environmental issues.
Peter played a leading role in the Horizon 2020 AMBER (Adaptive Management of Barriers in European Rivers) project, which brought together colleagues from across Europe, and further afield to build shared experiences and best practices in restoration of river connectivity.
Peter was awarded an OBE for his work in 2021.
Peter’s contributions to river ecology have been immeasurable, and he continues to work for positive change both locally and worldwide.