AN AMBITIOUS scheme to restore the River Esk in the North York Moors national park is paying dividends in major improvements for farmers and their cattle, and anglers.

Some £300,000 is due to be invested in the Esk regeneration programme, a partnership funded by the park authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Environment Agency, fishing clubs, landowners and farmers, together with the European Union, says the project officer Mr Andrew Herbert. Twelve kilometres of river bank, eroded by generations of cattle getting down to the water, have been restored with fencing and tree planting. Fishing grounds have been given a new lease of life with the creation of new habitats and clearance of obstacles in the river bed over an 8km stretch.

"Enhancing and conserving the river's habitats are benefiting the fish and rural life in general for communities around the Esk," said Mr Herbert.

Upgrading the river's fishing reputation - it is Yorkshire's only salmon river - is also having economic benefits with anglers staying in local hotels and patronising pubs and cafes.

Trees which have grown to form a canopy of shade over the river have been cut back to allow light and warmth to return to the Esk, while the crumbling river banks are gradually being restored as a result of fencing and new tree planting.

Alternative drinking points have been provided, with equipment installed in fields adjoining the river, under the regeneration scheme. Stone and wood groynes have been built into the river to create new habitats for fish and, in turn, to improve it for anglers.

"We are trying to set off a reaction in that the river does most of the work for us in the long term," said Mr Herbert.

Parts of the Esk have been re-stocked with 100,000 small salmon and this is the first time fish bred from Esk stock has been used he added. "We are now starting to see the benefits of the regeneration scheme but it is a long-term process.

"We are now building on the work we have already done but we are anxious to secure more funding because there is much more to be done".

Farmers and landowners have helped by supporting the erection of fences to keep stock out of the river and, at the same time, ensure their safety from the water.

Grants of 65pc were available for riverside fencing schemes, said Mr Herbert, who is based at the national park office at Helmsley.

"The whole objective of the scheme is to provide environmental and economical sustainability in the river and to improve its recreation potential," he said.

Figures show that visiting anglers spend £40 a day, which goes into the local economy, said Mr Herbert, who added: "The river could take more angling; it's under-fished at present."

There are about ten clubs and syndicates, several from West Yorkshire and Teesside, fishing the Esk, although there are also free stretches for which anglers need only a rod licence and a day ticket