ARE OTTERS SO BAD?

[kleinboet]

When you have all finished rolling about laughing, Judith Rolleson is an animal lover and hates to see animals suffer in any way - she talks like that!

[Worms]

Otters will eat eels in preference to any other species, salmonids included.

 

Where do you get he idea that eels are slower than salmonids from?

The burst speed of the Atlantic Salmon is recognised as 10 l/s (body lengths/second). I'm struggling to find info taking silver eel burst speeds past 3 l/s

[Emma two]

the lake had been visited by an otter and the stocks in the lake had been decimated and it had been decided that they would allow the reeds to grow and close the lake temporarily as the fish that were left were "traumatised and terrified". !

 

If would indeed be difficult to keep a straight face after listening to that. Fish get chased by things that want to eat them, thats what happens. Even prey species of mammals take being hunted as part of life, for example one can observe hares going back to quietly munching minutes after being coursed.

 

We have antiseptic wipes for hook holes, unhooking mats and are advised not to stand up for a pic holding a fish in case we drop it (I do use a mat in most circumstances and sit to hold a big 'un), but do we need specialist councellors to work with fish in order that they recover from the trauma of capture? they are fish...keep it real.

[Emma two]

When you have all finished rolling about laughing, Judith Rolleson is an animal lover and hates to see animals suffer in any way - she talks like that!

 

Then on what basis do you think she has worked out that swimming away from an Otter is more liable to cause fish stress then being hooked, played, netted, taken out of it's natural element, weighed and held up for a photo shoot. All by a larger animal, who so far as the fish knows (if fish are capable of that type of abstract thought) might tear them to bits at any moment?

 

If she is so concerned that no animal should suffer in anyway, then she is perhaps in the wrong line of business?

 

Of course we only have KB's version of what the woman said, and he has ample form in simply making things up as he goes along to suit whatever case he is trying to make.

[gozzer]

When you have all finished rolling about laughing, Judith Rolleson is an animal lover and hates to see animals suffer in any way - she talks like that!

 

Steady on John! I was the first to mention it, and as someone who also likes animals, (not too keen on cats), I always find it strange when human emotions are applied to them. That's even more so when the animal in question is a fish.

I compared it to the stupid remarks made in the Benson interviews, and look where those ended up.

 

John.

[Worms]

....the lake had been visited by an otter and the stocks in the lake had been decimated....

It's that word again, does anyone think that otters have been trained by an alien force to kill 10% of our fish stocks.......Ah! perhaps it's a government ploy! Remember when we were told by the EU that our dairy herd was too big by 22% A few weeks later Foot and Mouth hit and we lost..........22% of our dairy herd........nothing in the Home Counties though oddly enough, it was all in the rural areas where nobody counts! Sorry.

[Emma two]

The burst speed of the Atlantic Salmon is recognised as 10 l/s (body lengths/second). I'm struggling to find info taking silver eel burst speeds past 3 l/s

 

I havn't looked up any research into comparitive speed of the two species. However, as kids we used to catch Eels in summer by turning over flat stones in our shallow rivers, the Eel would either stay stock still (and we would pin it to the gravel with a large dining fork behind the head) or disappear in a flash, and the turn of speed in which they vanished was remarkable, and of course in the low crystal clear water their flight was easy to see. Perhaps Otters are good at stalking and 'pouncing' on Eels who 'squat' still rather then engaging in breakneck speed chases?

[kleinboet]

Emma - seeing how you are inferring I am a liar, why don't you prove yourelf wrong by contacting her.... never mind, you wouldn't tell us anyway!! Mind you I can't see anything wrong with her statement, seeing the fish for myself as, as soon as they see you they (the little ones) scarper!!

That didn't happen last time!

As far as the stocks being decimated (in that lake only!!) When I fished that last, I caught 4lb+ fish with ease. Now EVERY fish in that pond is under a pound.

 

 

You don't have to kill ALL the fish to decimate a lake - just the big ones!!!

[Worms]

Emma - seeing how you are inferring I am a liar, why don't you prove yourelf wrong by contacting her.... never mind, you wouldn't tell us anyway!! Mind you I can't see anything wrong with her statement, seeing the fish for myself as, as soon as they see you they (the little ones) scarper!!

That didn't happen last time!

As far as the stocks being decimated (in that lake only!!) When I fished that last, I caught 4lb+ fish with ease. Now EVERY fish in that pond is under a pound.

 

 

You don't have to kill ALL the fish to decimate a lake - just the big ones!!!

Two things KB, one I don't think that Emma2 was inferring that you are a liar, and she has contacted Judith Rollestone. The fact that there have been three different stories from her regarding the 'otter incident' are unusual to say the least and, Emma2's comments on her being an animal lover yet still running a fishery are open to interpretation.

 

Point 2, Decimation means removal of a tenth, it was a Roman punishment for mutinous legionaires. 1 in 10 would be killed as an example to the others i.e 10%. It doesn't mean wholesale slaughter of large fish by otters.

[kleinboet]

Worms -

[colour=#FF0000]Two things KB, one I don't think that Emma2 was inferring that you are a liar, and she has contacted Judith Rollestone. The fact that there have been three different stories from her regarding the 'otter incident' are unusual to say the least and, Emma2's comments on her being an animal lover yet still running a fishery are open to interpretation[/color]

What inference to you make of this?

Of course we only have KB's version of what the woman said, and he has ample form in simply making things up as he goes along to suit whatever case he is trying to make.

 

Point 2, Decimation means removal of a tenth, it was a Roman punishment for mutinous legionaires. 1 in 10 would be killed as an example to the others i.e 10%. It doesn't mean wholesale slaughter of large fish by otters.

And seeing as how there were no decent size fish to catch in the pond - I stand by my statement!