Otters in the news

FUDGEY · #1 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 09:21 AM

I used to be a devoted fisherman, but I am disgusted with this. John Wilson used to be one of my heroes, but this had made me think he is a low life now.

BBC News - Otter cull call to protect fish

bigdave60dog · #2 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 09:43 AM

I wouldn`t worry too much. The cull is only an idea in the minds of a vociferous few so far.
Dave

vole-woman · #3 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 09:58 AM

Sure this is just the news, stirring. Don't think our otters are in danger.

How practical would it be to fence off a fishery in an otter-proof stylee, out of interest?

Burko · #4 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 11:32 AM

They're just jealous because the otters are better at catching fish than them.

~T~ · #5 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 12:10 AM

What an idiot. Carp are not even native to this country.

FUDGEY · #6 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 04:26 AM

Exactly T, its the same as a keeper moaning about a fox entering a Pheasant pen and killing the birds. If you create a high unnatural food source something in nature will exploit it. What do they expect an Otter to do? Come across this small over stocked pond that is stuffed with food and for it to think "Oh better not go in there as someone fishes for them" If they are prepared to spend £1000s on individual fish they can afford to put Otter proof fencing up first if they are that worried.

Littlesparrow · #7 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 06:48 AM

The only thing I'm not sure about is why otters are still being reintroduced, isn't there enough pockets of them now to spread naturally, and in tune with the food supply in rivers?

The Woodman · #8 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 07:42 AM

I'm not sure that Otters are still being introduced, Littlesparrow. The Otter Trust has wound up it's activities due to the successful re-population and natural breeding occurring now.

Rehabilitated injured and orphaned Otters are still released back into the wild but I'm not aware of any introduction programme.

Lincs Yellowbelly · #9 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 11:29 AM

I fail to see why anyone would be disgusted by what John Wilson said here, he talks complete common sense. People livelihoods are at stake in many places, particularly area's like the Broads where a great number of visitors throughout the year are dependent on anglers. Like he said if a fox was killing a farmers stock of sheep then he would have the right to protect his livelihood, but as anglers and fishery owners you are expected to put up or shut up!

Otter fences are a great idea but in many cases completely impractical and unaffordable. The vast majority of clubs and individual syndicates run on a non-profit basis with all of the subs received paying for the upkeep and lease costs. There are very few commercial fisheries in this country comparitivly speaking and these are the only places that make money and can afford things such as fences.

Otters have been re-indroduced to bring the levels up to what they are now, it's not a natural progression which is what it should have been. Yes Otters are native, but so are Wolf, Brown Bear....i wonder how their re-introduction would go down!!

The Woodman · #10 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 12:05 PM

It wasn't a technical reintroduction, merely assisting a reduced population caused by mans activities. There was every likihood that the population would have recovered due to better riparian management and water quality, albeit perhaps not as quickly as has happened.

The EA is sympathetic to those whose fisheries have and are being affected and funding for fencing is available from them.

Otters have existed since time immemorial alongside native fish populations to no detriment, recent introductions of fish into unsecure waters is like a farmer buying a flock of hens and turning them out into a field. They will be predated on - period. Foxes are not a protected species, Otters are.

A predator kills to survive, an angler fishes for sport and enjoyment.

Greater interest and participation in coarse angling in particular has seen (in this area) clubs, syndicates and individuals purchasing or leasing bits of water and stocking them with easily predated species, unsuitable for some of those waters. The area EA point this out but in the majority of cases the advice is ignored as the club wish to progress with their ideas. The result is that the Otter gets the blame when it eats the valuable and costly stock put into a water it and its forebears have been frequenting for generations with no detriment to the adapted native species and a call for culling results.