A THIRD rescue mission is planned to get hold of a seal eating up Rochford Reservoir’s fishing stock.

The seal is believed to have been living in Rochford Reservoir since December 12, happily eating the fish in the reservoir as it avoids being caught and relocated.

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Essex County Council, the Environment Agency and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) have twice attempted to capture the seal.

The latest attempt, a two-day long mission on Thursday and Friday, ended in failure.

And now the agency is gearing up for a third rescue attempt in the coming weeks.ac

Teams attempting to rescue the seal were hampered by the animal’s protected status.

Tranquilisers do not work well with seals.

Electrofishing, a technique used by fish biologists to collect fish by creating an electric field which temporarily stuns them, is also off the table as the required voltage would kill all nearby fish.

 A fishing ban is in place on the lake until the seal is caught.

Councillor Dave Sperring, responsible for the environment, said: “We apologise for any inconvenience to fishers, but would ask all residents to keep their distance from the area for the safety of the seal and for themselves, and please keep your dog on a lead.”