ARE OTTERS SO BAD?

[Worms]

It was an Otter - It was caught and released OUTSIDE the fishery (once the fence was up )

Is there any reference in any of the media KB? Could be a useful little story and helpful to other fisheries (and otters!).

[kleinboet]

I don't know - phone Judith at the Reepham fishery!

[Worms]

I don't know - phone Judith at the Reepham fishery!

e-mail sent!

[Worms]

I am afraid that I have to play devils advocate here - Being disabled and unable to get to most of the rivers as my my ability to access them is limited. I visited Reepham fishery for a week in June and one of the lakes were closed (the one nearest the chalets). When I asked why, they said an otter had got in and killed the fish Willy-nilly (not just to eat as there were dead fish all over the place).

Now I don't know if stocked fish are "tamer", but stocking otters near commercial waters , without notifying the fisheries is unwise. There is a grant available to fishery owners - the idea is that they can install low level electric fences which does NOT affect people, but deters otters!

By the way, as one lucky enough to have seen otters in the wild they ARE lovely!!! (but then, so are Mink!!)

I contacted Judith as you suggsted KB but via e-mail: These are the e-mails with only a name change to protect the innocent

 

"Hello,

 

Following a recent post on Anglers Net fishing forum I was advised to contact you regarding an incident in which you had an otter kill many fish in your fishery. The otter was apparently caught and released and you now have low level electric fencing installed.

 

As a professional ecologist and a keen angler I am keen to hear of positive outcomes regarding otters and anglers considering the current anti otter feelings being engendered by some of the angling media.

 

Obviously in this case I would assume that you have suffered some losses but I would be very interested to hear the details of the story and the steps gone through to enable grants (for fencing) that were applied for through the EA.

 

Many thanks in anticipation,

 

Worms B.Sc., M.Sc., DIC, CBiol, MIBiol (consultant ecologist)."

 

 

I got the following reply this morning:

 

"Dear Mr. Worms

Thank you for your email.

How gossip starts and becomes so ill informed.

We had a visit from an otter two years ago. We did not catch the otter nor did we release one into the wild at anytime. We have an electric fence for which we paid without the aid of grants. Since installing the fence, we have had no further visits.

I fear we can be of no further assistance to you.

Kind regards

Judith Rollestone"

 

Send three and fourpence We're going to a dance!

Edited August 4, 2009 by Worms

[Anderoo]

I contacted Judith as you suggsted KB but via e-mail: These are the e-mails with only a name change to protect the innocent

 

"Hello,

 

Following a recent post on Anglers Net fishing forum I was advised to contact you regarding an incident in which you had an otter kill many fish in your fishery. The otter was apparently caught and released and you now have low level electric fencing installed.

 

As a professional ecologist and a keen angler I am keen to hear of positive outcomes regarding otters and anglers considering the current anti otter feelings being engendered by some of the angling media.

 

Obviously in this case I would assume that you have suffered some losses but I would be very interested to hear the details of the story and the steps gone through to enable grants (for fencing) that were applied for through the EA.

 

Many thanks in anticipation,

 

Worms B.Sc., M.Sc., DIC, CBiol, MIBiol (consultant ecologist)."

 

 

I got the following reply this morning:

 

"Dear Mr. Worms

Thank you for your email.

How gossip starts and becomes so ill informed.

We had a visit from an otter two years ago. We did not catch the otter nor did we release one into the wild at anytime. We have an electric fence for which we paid without the aid of grants. Since installing the fence, we have had no further visits.

I fear we can be of no further assistance to you.

Kind regards

Judith Rollestone"

 

Send three and fourpence We're going to a dance!

 

Sums it all up nicely, doesn't it.

[gozzer]

Oooops!

 

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

 

I wonder how many of this kind of perpetuated myth surrounds other otter kills, immigrant misdemenours, etc.

 

We shouldn't be surprised really. How many fish have grown in size with each telling of it's capture?

It's in the genetic make up of anglers, don't ya'know.

 

John.

[chesters1]

I contacted Judith as you suggsted KB but via e-mail: These are the e-mails with only a name change to protect the innocent

 

"Hello,

 

Following a recent post on Anglers Net fishing forum I was advised to contact you regarding an incident in which you had an otter kill many fish in your fishery. The otter was apparently caught and released and you now have low level electric fencing installed.

 

As a professional ecologist and a keen angler I am keen to hear of positive outcomes regarding otters and anglers considering the current anti otter feelings being engendered by some of the angling media.

 

Obviously in this case I would assume that you have suffered some losses but I would be very interested to hear the details of the story and the steps gone through to enable grants (for fencing) that were applied for through the EA.

 

Many thanks in anticipation,

 

Worms B.Sc., M.Sc., DIC, CBiol, MIBiol (consultant ecologist)."

 

 

I got the following reply this morning:

 

"Dear Mr. Worms

Thank you for your email.

How gossip starts and becomes so ill informed.

We had a visit from an otter two years ago. We did not catch the otter nor did we release one into the wild at anytime. We have an electric fence for which we paid without the aid of grants. Since installing the fence, we have had no further visits.

I fear we can be of no further assistance to you.

Kind regards

Judith Rollestone"

 

Send three and fourpence We're going to a dance!

 

perhaps but is the war over.

on the other hand its an offence to interfere with ,capture or muck about with these animals so "denial" could be simpler for everyone

the difficult bit you bump into is "resting place" and the laws regarding their protection ,best to have none if you want to fence a pond off

the same is pretty much for bats ,if you know they are there it could be said you interfered with them by knowing it especially those dwelling in your loft.

saying something happened or not happened does not mean its true or false

Edited August 4, 2009 by chesters1

[Emma two]

This was the reply I got...

 

Dear Emma

Thank you for your email.

You appear to be ill informed, but then gossip is never as much fun as when it is inaccurate!

We have not closed parts of our fishery due to otter problems. We currently have closed match lake, which was never open to the public in the first place, only to clubs.

Due to the Koi Herpes Virus on other fisheries in the area, we are taking preventative steps to ensure that our fish remain healthy. The advice we have had from DEFRA is that the virus is carried on nets and on mats, so we have closed match lake to protect the fish and the quality of the water and now it is obligatory for everyone to dip their nets and mats when entering the fishery.

We are free from the Koi Herpes Virus and wish to remain that way so we ask all customers to comply with the dipping requirement to ensure that they can still enjoy a days fishing here.

Regards

Judith Rolleston

[Worms]

perhaps but is the war over.

on the other hand its an offence to interfere with ,capture or muck about with these animals so "denial" could be simpler for everyone

the difficult bit you bump into is "resting place" and the laws regarding their protection ,best to have none if you want to fence a pond off

the same is pretty much for bats ,if you know they are there it could be said you interfered with them by knowing it especially those dwelling in your loft.

saying something happened or not happened does not mean its true or false

One of the easiest things to do when surveying for protected species (or non-protected come to that) is proving their presence. Proving their absence is almost impossible......It would be best for all these manmade,stocked fisheries to get their fences up now, without a survey and before otters pile in in swarms so as not to risk facing fines for disturbance

 

They might want to get a squirrel cull underway as well in case they start dropping nuts in the water and poisoning all of the carp

Edited August 4, 2009 by Worms

[Emma two]

Even if the Otters (or Squirrels) were to be culled, would there not then be a very real danger that thier souls would come back in the form of phantoms and haunt the fisheries, creating even worse havoc? for example imagine the Carp anglers electronic alarms going off all night , oooooh!