Apathy rules yet again

[poledark]

Read the comments on AN and BFW about the death of the biggest known Barbel in Britain..partially eaten by an Otter. Four others in the same short stretch of river have also been partially eaten , again by an Otter.

 

Horrendous bit of news that just seems to be passing by!

 

"Natural balance" and more codswallop is being quoted, but there are probably only 25 known Barbel in that stretch of river (now down to 20 ), how long before it is down to 1 or 2? How long before the Otter starts on the Moorhens because it has eaten everything else? (It has been recorded on film that they do attack and eat Moorhens)

 

Most, if not all, of the rivers that now support a decent head of large Barbel and Chub have been free of Otters for about 50 years, in fact, that is the reason that they do contain these fish.

 

The "powers that be" that purport to be looking after anglers interests have failed miserably, pussyfooting around for fear of public opinion. Oh yes, I forgot the fencing !!!!!!!!!!! complete waste of money and time.

 

Otters are not "wonderful graceful creatures" they are an efficient predator at the top of the chain, with no natural checks on them, which is why they were hunted by fishery owners.

 

It is quite possible that there is only one Otter active on the Ouse, so in my opinion it would be perfectly in order for the owner/lessee of the fishing to be allowed to legally destroy the Otter.

 

Den

[Peter Waller]

In my humble opinion their impact was not considered when releasing these wild beasties. Problem now being which side would Joe Public be on, ours or the otters. Ou rivers are no longer the 'wild' environment of years gone by, and even then they were hunted, their presence being unwelcome at a time when river provided food as well as sport. Next thing will be wild boars and brown bears released into the wild!

[Grandma]

Mmm.

 

A wild river with otters or a couple of dozen boilie bloated barbel with names.

 

Bring on the otters!

[ayjay]

Mmm.

 

A wild river with otters or a couple of dozen boilie bloated barbel with names.

 

Bring on the otters!

 

The Ouse is a special case, a small river intensively fished, the H.Avon however contains barbel which don't see the banks from one year to the next, the otters will still kill them just the same.

 

Re-introducing otters to rivers incapable of supporting them is no more than bloody-minded ecological vandalism.

[gozzer]

Read the comments on AN and BFW about the death of the biggest known Barbel in Britain..partially eaten by an Otter. Four others in the same short stretch of river have also been partially eaten , again by an Otter.

 

Horrendous bit of news that just seems to be passing by!

 

"Natural balance" and more codswallop is being quoted, but there are probably only 25 known Barbel in that stretch of river (now down to 20 ), how long before it is down to 1 or 2? How long before the Otter starts on the Moorhens because it has eaten everything else? (It has been recorded on film that they do attack and eat Moorhens)

 

Most, if not all, of the rivers that now support a decent head of large Barbel and Chub have been free of Otters for about 50 years, in fact, that is the reason that they do contain these fish.

 

The "powers that be" that purport to be looking after anglers interests have failed miserably, pussyfooting around for fear of public opinion. Oh yes, I forgot the fencing !!!!!!!!!!! complete waste of money and time.

 

Otters are not "wonderful graceful creatures" they are an efficient predator at the top of the chain, with no natural checks on them, which is why they were hunted by fishery owners.

 

It is quite possible that there is only one Otter active on the Ouse, so in my opinion it would be perfectly in order for the owner/lessee of the fishing to be allowed to legally destroy the Otter.

 

Den

 

I have read the posts on BFW about the death of 'Traveller', and why I am not surprised at the amount of sentimental drivel that has been spouted on there? This is an old fish, that has been targeted and caught more times than it should, mostly in the name of profit and a bigger profile for someone.

Living things die, that's just the nature of things. I wish some of these 'anglers' would get rid of this 'Disney' view of wildlife, (if this fish could be classed as wild, it's been manhandled more times than Abi Titmus at a John Leslie party).

As to the cause of death. It's been strongly suggested that otters are to blame. This may or may not be the case, I haven't seen any positve proof yet, but it's the most likely, possibly aided by recovering from just recently having been caught, again.

The otter is causing some concern amonst some anglers, just as the number of pike is to others, (I wonder if a 2lb dace called Fred, being taken by a pike would cause as much upset).

If this stretch of water only contains 25 or so known barbel, then I would be asking questions as to the whereabouts of the smaller fish, (or don't they count). This doesn't seem like a healthy, well balanced barbel fishery to me. But we don't seem to care for the words, well balanced and fishery being put together in this modern angling world. It seems that a fishery is now a place where more and bigger fish, are the only important things.

If we were more concerned about the welfare of, big, small, predator, prey and diversity of species, and less about, size, names, profit and 'favourite' species, then the waters may be more able to support the reintroduced otter, which has as much, if not more right to the water than we have.

 

 

John

[Newt]

the reintroduced otter, which has as much, if not more right to the water than we have.

"Rights" are purely a human legal construct gozzer so I'm confused on how an otter, or all otters, could possibly have 'rights'.

 

Grandma - A wild river in the UK?

[Vagabond]

Next thing will be wild boars and brown bears released into the wild!

 

Wild boar are already present around two waters I fish down here in East Sussex (The waters are about seven miles apart) I have fished in brown bear country too - bring 'em on

[zedhead]

poledark, i couldnt disagree with you more,

The simple fact is that otters have have been a part of the british fauna for longer than us, but because modern humans want big barbel, the otter must be controlled? Quite honestly, id love to see more otters on our waterways, they are a fantastic creature that should be respected as much as the next, because they eat fish....our quarry makes no difference at all, and there is a difference, you (we) fish for mere amusement, the otter goes fishing to survive....which is the most valid?

[gozzer]

"Rights" are purely a human legal construct gozzer so I'm confused on how an otter, or all otters, could possibly have 'rights'.

 

Grandma - A wild river in the UK?

 

Hi Newt.

Haven't we discussed your pedantic tendencies before?

 

Otters fish to live, not just for pleasure, (or in this case fame and fortune), and as such, IMO and that of others, have a natural right to do so, that predates the laws of man.

Are you of the school of thought that believes that legal rights are the only rights, and morality and nature don't enter in to the equation?

 

John

[chesters1]

i have said it before ,if "natural" (i.e those which occured naturally here unlike mink etc) fish predators were so efficiant in devoiding rivers of fish then they would have gone extinct millions of years ago by eating all their prey

nature uses balances so predators are always outnumbered by prey ,man buggers up the balance not predators.

if very large fish get eaten by preds then man someway has buggered up the system ,fat means lazy (just look at me) otherwise mr fish would have to burn calories to find food .

therefore fat is unnatural (in fishy realms) so become the first to die when nature (in the form of an otter) strikes.

look to man for the problem the otter is doing just what nature intended and getting rid of the rubbish.

man likes "big" but otters just want food and unfortunately otters and man see fish for different reasons .if you want big fish get rid off the otters if you want a natural balance of healthy fish get rid of man

 

fishery owners in times gone by when otters were common didnt kill otters because they ate fish they killed them because they ate THEIR (as in the owners) fish ,had otters only eaten course fish those rich landownerswho invited their friends down for salmon or trout fishing at the weekend would have encouraged them and probably deliberately bred them !!

Edited December 29, 2006 by chesters1