Now Reading: London’s once-dead Thames now home to sharks and seals
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London’s once-dead Thames now home to sharks and seals
London's River Thames, declared 'biologically dead' in 1957 after decades of sewage and industrial pollution, now teems with sharks, seals, seahorses and eels, according to a January 2026 health check by the…
The Story in Brief
London's River Thames, declared 'biologically dead' in 1957 after decades of sewage and industrial pollution, now teems with sharks, seals, seahorses and eels, according to a January 2026 health check by the Zoological Society of London. At least five shark species, including tope and starry smoothhounds, use the Thames Estuary. The Greater Thames supported 2,987 grey seals and 599 harbour seals in 2024. The avocet, a wading bird extinct in Britain by 1842, has seen its tidal Thames population more than double in 30 years.
The recovery came from tighter pollution controls, better sewage treatment and decades of conservation work, starting with 1990s water industry regulations. The Thames Tideway Tunnel, a 15.5-mile 'super sewer' fully operational since February 2025, had diverted over 20 million metric tons of sewage by June 2026. However, nitrate pollution is still rising, some fish populations are a concern, and summer water temperatures have increased 0.13°C per year from 2007 to 2024.
The Indian Opinion
The Thames revival is rightly celebrated, but the 'miracle recovery' narrative skips a few hard truths. Nitrate levels are climbing, some fish stocks are shaky, and the river is warming steadily. A single super sewer, however impressive, does not fix everything. The real test is whether London can tackle diffuse pollution from farms and roads, and whether the government will enforce tighter temperature rules as the climate warms. Will the next health check show these gains are durable?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
