Angling Trust Calls For Cull Of Otters Eating Too Much Fish

[Worms]

It always seems to come back to one thing doesn't it, money!

 

"And why should one have to pay many thousands of pounds to protect one's fishery"

[gozzer]

Crikey, here's one that isn't!

 

www.fishingmagic.com/index.php?news=14710

 

Blimey! He's gone down hill a bit since leaving the Eurythmics!

 

John.

[Anderoo]

Crikey, here's one that isn't!

 

www.fishingmagic.com/index.php?news=14710

 

The comments under the article are worth a peek too. This is snippet from Greg Whitehead:

 

By all accounts the Windrush is a virtual ghost river now!!!

 

The Windrush is repeatedly put forward as proof that otters will 'decimate' a river. Well in 4 years of fishing there regularly I have seen two other anglers, and caught a silly number of fish of all sizes. And seen otters, and mink, and herons, and kingfishers, and pike, and perch

 

So in terms of anglers, yes it is a ghost river. In terms of fish, it's very healthy indeed. Presumably Greg is one of the two people I've seen there and had a bad day, otherwise I don't know what his opinion is based on.

 

The amount of coverage this issue is getting is really starting to worry me now. Why can't people see where this is taking us?

[Steve Walker]

The amount of coverage this issue is getting is really starting to worry me now. Why can't people see where this is taking us?

 

It's suicidal. It is a battle which cannot be won (let alone that some of us want otters) and which can only lead to bad press.

[Steve Coppolo]

It's suicidal. It is a battle which cannot be won (let alone that some of us want otters) and which can only lead to bad press.

 

As usual, it's the vocal minority who will ruin things for the silent majority.

 

 

It's been going on with sea angling representation for years

[Worms]

The amount of coverage this issue is getting is really starting to worry me now. Why can't people see where this is taking us?

Probably because they don't care. My guess is that the majority of the whingers are stillwater anglers and couldn't give a flying flea about what happens in rivers. They'll push for taxpayer's money to fence off their giant foreign carp ponds where they'll be allowed to fish and the rest of us will be banned from angling by the AT and PETA because we will be considered as outmoded, cruel and a risk to otters/worms/cheesepaste etc.

 

My apologies to those stillwater anglers that like to see wildlife!

[Anderoo]

As usual, it's the vocal minority who will ruin things for the silent majority.

 

 

It's been going on with sea angling representation for years

 

The thing is, I'm sure I'm in the minority. Most anglers I talk to about this (or when it comes up in conversation - I won't initiate it) are firmly in the 'otters need controlling' camp. I think AN is very unusual in that there are several people here who don't necessarily agree.

 

A lot of people are now openly calling for otters to be culled. In fact one of the comments on the article above was along the lines of, 'which is more important, an otter or my fishing? The answer is without doubt MY FISHING'.

 

I think it's now generated enough momentum that it's actually impossible to stop. The only reason I continue to post on the subject is a token gesture, from someone who lives alongside them.

[Steve Walker]

I think we're all old enough to remember when for a very large proportion of anglers the only good pike was one rotting in the bushes. Anglers may have since been educated on that one, but the instinct remains.

 

I think I've mentioned before reading a 19th century riverkeeper's manual which described a management style which amounted to "slaughter anything that isn't a trout". At least the section on swans had more social-awareness than many anglers seem to be showing over the otter issue, in that it recognised that killing swans might be frowned upon (and recommended luring them upstream out of public sight prior to exterminating them).

[Worms]

The thing is, I'm sure I'm in the minority. Most anglers I talk to about this (or when it comes up in conversation - I won't initiate it) are firmly in the 'otters need controlling' camp. I think AN is very unusual in that there are several people here who don't necessarily agree.

 

A lot of people are now openly calling for otters to be culled. In fact one of the comments on the article above was along the lines of, 'which is more important, an otter or my fishing? The answer is without doubt MY FISHING'.

 

I think it's now generated enough momentum that it's actually impossible to stop. The only reason I continue to post on the subject is a token gesture, from someone who lives alongside them.

It might be a token gesture Anderoo but it's a gesture that a lot of us appreciate. I suppose as long as we keep up an "otters aren't evil decimators" thread, some people might notice. After all, if we are in the minority and we become vocal enough we might get our way.........for once

 

It's certainly spreading through the grapevine.

 

We do have some supporters though it would appear!

 

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/w...otter-cull.html

[Dave B]

Yeah, and apparently, cos we iz fik anglurs we dunt now tha diffrince bewtean an otta an a mink!

 

 

 

Join Date: Jan 2008

Location: Harpenden, Herts

Posts: 1,354

Re: Angling trust calls for otter cull

Could the problem be Mink not Otter? I wouldn't rely on any member of the angling fraternity to tell the difference.