Your Otter problem

[Davemc1]

I cannot believe what I have just read. We fishermen are supposed to love nature the otters are our nature thay are part of our life circle, or used to be. The antes would love to see this page. We should be getting our countyside back for all of us, not just fishermen. Our children will not see what we have if we do what you want to do.

[RobStubbs]

Dave,

<edited after just reading the other post>

 

No one can condone the killing of otters, as we all know it is illegal and it does no-one any good when people take the law into their own hands - I sincerely hope the story isn't true.

 

<comments>

 

Otters have been effectively artificially (re)introduced into waterways, often with no thought for the consequences. There have been instances where too many otters have been released in too small an enviroment and where the water system can't provide the food for them - hardly a good situation for the otters I think you'd agree ?

 

Now no one has said 'otters are bad we don't want them', what people are saying is that there needs to be careful thought around the full implications of releasing them. Lets not forget from a fisheries perspective an ill thought release can cause hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage to fish stocks (in a single fishery!).

 

The SAA, amongst others, has been working damn hard at getting the otter issue resolved and that process involves careful dialogue with otter groups, the EA and many other bodies.

 

We all want the countryside preserved but any active management needs proper consideration.

 

Rob.

 

[ 22 March 2002, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: RobStubbs ]

[Chris Burt]

Dave

The situation on otters takes quite a bit of explaining, so much so that I am going to ask Elton if he can add a section to the SAA site just to cover the otter predation issues, and post all the information there. It is a big subject but I would say the conservation movement has given us enormous backing for the objectives we are aiming for, which are;

A halt to any further releases of captive bred otters (now achieved)

Government funding for fisheries protection, which has just taken its next step forward (more of this very soon)

Anglers will NOT be pilloried wholesale over the possible actions of an irresponsible few over otters, we have built up too much mutual understanding of each others views for that, with the Wildlife Trusts, English Nature, Environment Agency Fisheries and Conservation arms, etc.

Hope that offers some reassurance at least.

Regards

Chris Burt SAA

[sharky]

Ron stubbs says it all. Too many otters in too small an area. Make no mistake otters will make inroads into fishstock. When it comes to affecting commercial fishery owners income they will take action in the same way as they do with cormorants.

Let me just say that I have only reported this and had nothing to do with the demise of any otters.

[chesters1]

hopefully before releasing the otters they could be trained to eat mink especially the one i can see most evenings hunting along the bank ,they i`m sure have eaten the voles that were there a few years ago ,cant the mink be trained to eat signal crayfish before our friends the anti fur league (or whatever they are supporting that day) let them go.

[chesters1]

hopefully before releasing the otters they could be trained to eat mink especially the one i can see most evenings hunting along the bank ,they i`m sure have eaten the voles that were there a few years ago ,cant the mink be trained to eat signal crayfish before our friends the anti fur league (or whatever they are supporting that day) let them go.

[Nightwing]

Otters, Mink, Osprey, Eagles, herons, kingfishers, cormorants, all eat fish, all are relatively common along our streams and lakes here. None have any measurable effect on the fisheries. There needs to be a place availabe for the predators out there, less you might as well just fish in a stocked pond. The other post indicated the otters were released in a local region, one I assume has a few lakes? Even in just a couple of lakes, or a single river, so few otters(16) could hardly destroy the population. An otter takes relatively small fish, and is not going to kill big carp, it will go for the smaller fish in the lakes and streams.

It sound to me like a case of "all predators are bad, the only good predator is a dead one" syndrome that had been at fault in destroying so many animal populations. We, as stuards of the wildlife and country side, need to outgrow this old fashiond belife system, and realise that we might have to share a few fish in order for the whole of the outoors to be healhy.

I have had wolves come up to within 100 feet of me while hunting, yet, had no thougts of destroying them even though they may take a deer I was hunting. I was glad to be able to share a hunt with them, and know through it that we have not completely turned the entire planted into the caricature of what it once was.

Killing otters just because they take the odd fish will do more than you can possibly imagine to end your fishing. Once you "prove" there are not enough fish for a few otters, how do you defend your own right to fish the obviously sick and deplted ecosystem?

 

[ 23 March 2002, 04:58 AM: Message edited by: Nightwing ]

[Chris Burt]

Nihtwing

Just for the record otters here can and do kill carp to over 30lb, that has happened on quite a number of occasions now. In some cases whole carp fisheries have been wiped out, in others a few large, prime fish have been located and taken from 40 acre pits. The potential coflict that brings between anglers and other conservationists is enormous and that is what we are trying very, very hard to avoid.

More on the current situation shortly.

Regards

Chris Burt

[TheDacer]

It's people that foul up the environment and over-predate fish. Not Otters.

 

If farmers for good and bad reasons hadn't joined industry in poisoning our rivers..

 

If we didn't concrete over too much of our countryside and make the rivers flush and flood every year...

 

If we didn't overfish sea fish stocks and drive cormorants inland..

 

Would Otters then be a problem?

 

I think not.

 

Solution: Let's not have too many people in too small a world!

[Chris Burt]

This is a bit long for a post but it sums up the current situation, so should be of interest..

 

OTTER PREDATION-UPDATE!

 

Most of you will be aware of the problems faced by fisheries from otter predation, particularly for still-water carp fisheries where specimen carp to over 30lb have been taken. The otter is a protected species of course, and anglers welcome its re-introduction. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we identify and secure the funding for adequate fisheries protection measures where they are required. In asking Government to help fund these measures, we are delighted to draw on the support of English Nature, The Wildlife Trusts, and the Environment Agency who have supported our approach at the highest level. We would now like to update you on the progress we have made against our long-term objectives to contain the escalating problems we face.

 

Firstly note that SAA are now acting on behalf of the National Angling Alliance (NAA) on all otter predation issues, so we have secured the full backing of the UK’s official angling body. This means that we have the full support of the angling bodies from all branches of our sport whether game, sea or coarse, not just specialist angling, which again demonstrates how effectively Unity within angling is now working!

 

SAA have now met with the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), English Nature, Environment Agency, Wildlife Trusts and were encouraged at the level of support we received. Our approach to Government centres on three key areas;

 

We are seeking to change the law so that any future releases of captive bred otters, or indeed any other captive bred mammal, can only take place under licence.

Last December we were delighted to report that the main-stream organisations represented by The Otter Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Steering Group (which includes the Wildlife Trusts), and the Otter Trust, are all in agreement that there will be no further introductions of captive-bred otters in the UK. However, some smaller bodies are still considering releases and we are looking to introduce proper controls as captive bred otters have been responsible for some well publicised incidents of predation of large carp, and of trout, possibly exacerbated by the these particular otters lack of natural fear of man.

It should be noted however by anglers and water controllers that wild otters (even in low numbers) still hold a significant threat to large carp, particularly in winter, and measures should be considered to protect stocks which may be at risk. The results of the Otter Survey of England, currently being undertaken by the Otter BAP Group, will assist in identifying areas particularly at risk in advance, and advice on protective measures such as fencing is available from trained personnel.

 

We need financial backing to fund research which will accurately determine the most cost effective fencing methods, which will not necessarily be electrified

We need a project to determine the best options on fencing for fisheries protection for the huge range of waters that will want to install protective measures. The varying terrain those waters are located in could also mean a wide range of options need to be established. Then that data needs to be made readily available to everyone as part of the invaluable advice already available from the Wildlife Trust Otter Officers and the Environment Agency.

(For full details see the Environment Agency explanatory leaflet “Otter Predation-Is My Fishery At Risk?” from your local EA office or by writing to their Fisheries Department at EA, Rio House, Waterside Drive, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS12 4UD).

 

 

We are looking for substantial funding from Government for fisheries protection, which is likely to primarily apply to non-commercial still-water carp fisheries with valuable stock.

Otter predation can cause serious problems so it is imperative we secure funding, as without it prime fisheries will suffer fish kills which they will be unable to counter. Otters have been responsible for killing numbers of valuable carp and causing major financial loss to the owners of the fisheries, which could provoke conflict between anglers and the conservation movement. This is something we are committed to avoid.

I add that David Arnold-Forster, Chief Executive, English Nature; Dr David Clarke, Head of Fisheries, Environment Agency; Dr Simon Lyster, Director General, The Wildlife Trusts, and Professor David Bellamy, President of The Wildlife Trusts, all support the need for effective control of introductions of mammals including otters, and for financial support for fisheries owners affected by the return of otters.

The NAA now believe that otter predation is getting out of hand, and as the main instigators of moves to address the problem are urgently seeking funding for fisheries protection.

 

Whilst there is unlikely to be an immediate resolution to these issues we have received a sympathetic hearing from an influential group of Government representatives and we anticipate moving forward from here to the next stage quite soon.

 

Then today we have released the following;

Otter Predation-A brief update

 

SAA’s objective is to obtain Government funding for fisheries protection from otter predation.

DEFRA, with support from the EA, have prepared a paper making the case for funding from Sport England, and expect to present it very soon.

 

Regards

Chris