Angling trust calls for otter cull

[lord lucan]

i agree redfish communication is the key to solving these problems, i also think ignorance is a major hurdle in overcoming most of our ecological problems in the uk, just think if we could combine the thoughts of birdwatchers and anglers and conservationists and work together, what a voice!

[darrenm]

I can understand if some comercial fisheries are upset by Otters predating fish on their property and it is their livelihood but cannot see most anglers wishing to see a cull of them or wanting one. Agree this story does seem like someone trying to whip up a storm and turn people against each other and feel it is much better all round to work together rather than from seperate camps or from polarised views.

Otters may be a benefit to some water courses and some study has shown that North American mink living on a strech of water are soon displaced by Otters taking up residence and the removal of this non native predator has got to be a good thing all round.

Eel populations are in decline across Europe has others have said and a fair bit of research is going on trying to find out why. To lay the blame on the Otter is not a solid arguement from my personal point of view because Eels were going into decline before the Otter started to make a comeback in the UK.

Joined up thinking and people talking is perhaps the best way forward and hopefully solutions can be found for all.

[lord lucan]

Apologies darren if i didnt make my point clear , i dont for one minute think that otters are responsible for the demise of the eel population, the point i was making was that the eel was an important part of the diet of the otter and with no eels to feed on anymore the otters are having to turn their attentions to different quarry, this is where the conflict with anglers occurs.
More thought i think needs to go into why large organisations and interest groups such as the rspb, angling trust, local ornithology groups and fishing clubs cant come together in one voice to challenge the powers that be into investigating the demise of our native wildlife wether it be above or below the water. I dont think an otter cull is the answer from an angling point of view, they are just surviving the best they can.The cormorant however is doing a lot more damage to inland waterways, having the same diet as the otter the larder will soon be empty then what? is this when birdwatching groups will notice the otters feeding habits change? we already know that a big part of the otters diet in the spring is water birds, spraint samples analysed were found to contain the feathers of coots, mallards and moorhens thought to be making up to 30% of their diet during the nesting season.will this percentage of birds in their diet increase as the fish stocks fall? only time will tell.I am a great believer in prevention over cure, lets not wait until things get out of hand. maybe i'm just a cynic but maybe the oldest military strategy in history of divide and conquer is being employed by government bodies here??? after all as long as angling vs birdwatching is in the media arguing the toss against each other no one is challenging them over the real problems and possible soloutions. sure they throw in the odd sweetener to conservation bodies such as re-introducing otters , sea eagles, red kites and for the commercial fisheries a licence from defra to protect fish stocks from cormorants by allowing up to four a year to be taken which are taking stocks. Is this not just skirting around the real issues and trying to silence us with lip service , i think so.

[RedFish]

Very interesting about otter diet. I thought they just ate fish. And mink. Absolutely agree about govt merry go round. Applications/enquiries re signal crayfish take a circular route home. A lot of papering over the cracks.

Would be very difficult to unite groups, as the politicos would either feel threatened, or wish to control. Or both. Too much hive-mindset in each group too.

''But now it's..National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week...''

[Kernuak]

It seems there have been a number of articles relating to the Anglers Trust and individual fish farmers calling for control measures and even culling since the middle of last year. There are a number of things that seem to be glossed over however.
The otter population is still fragile, despite the recovery from the 1970's, when it seemed it may even become extinct in England and Wales. Even in the Southwest, one of the strongholds, otter numbers were dangerously low. Reports in 2003 suggested that the numbers in England had increased to between 3300 and 4000 otters, still pretty low when you consider the geographical spread and compare it to the estimated 8000 in Scotland.
Post mortems on dead otters found in Somerset have shown high burdens of a bile fluke that has been imported by oriental fish stocks and while there isn't conclusive proof as a cause of death that I'm aware of, high parasitic burdens will affect the health of otters and many have shown emaciation. The annual survey by the Somerset Otter Group indicated, that in 2008, Somerset supported around 65 otters, yet in the first nine months, there were 27 known deaths, largely from road caualties. A number of these deaths were actually cubs, affecting the long term survival of the population. Somerset with all of its waterways, should represent a stronghold for the species, but 65 is a small number, particularly when many of them were on Exmoor's rivers, an area with low prey density, increasing the size of the home ranges. Before any cull is considered, these figures need to be examined in the cold light of day. What sort of population is optimal for each area? What other factors are involved? In spite of Somerset's large number of waterways, it still remains a risk, from thelow level agriculture. Any pollutants are easily leached into the waterways, where they can do unknown damage. Just because dieldrin and other pollutants have been banned, it doesn't mean that other agents don't have the potential to kill wildlife. We don't know all the effects of chemicals on wildlife and until we do, any species with low numbers remains vulnerable. Any control measures of that species, in whatever form could prove disastrous if there is a sudden plummet as before. This was highlighted last month, after the accidental release of what has been suggested as wood preservative from an industrial estate near Glastonbury. This spread along the South Drain that runs through Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath and Catcott Heath nature reserves, resulting in the deaths of a number of fish. There was also a dead swan found, but apparently there was a reluctance from the authorities to investigate the cause of death. Since the incident, the number of otter sightings and signs of their presence has plummeted, yet there were known to be at least three adult otters and two older cubs present in the area. The reduction in sightings could be explained by them returning to their more normal habits of being crepuscular or the dispersal of the cubs, but it doesn't explain the lack of fresh spraints. The worry is, that lately, they have taken a liking for fresh water mussels and shellfish tend to concentrate toxins.