Cormorants – Biodiversity in Danger

[Tigger]

There have been quite a few topics recently about roach and the decline of them in the rivers, and the main factor in this is cormorant predation.

 

 

 

Oh right, so cormorants just target roach then . What total nonsense people talk. At the end of the day people just don't like to see birds eating fish as they think they are only there for people to play about catching and having a bit of fun.

[fishtec1312]

Otters next then?

the close season doesnt help,when i walk the ribble in spring you see them every hundred yards,put bums on the bank and there numbers are kept down,when a fully grown bird eats 4to5pd of fish a day ,a fishery in fresh water cant sustain that loss.at least a otter catches and kills its prey,not leaving them with gapeing woonds,and have terrotorys maybe upto a mile appart ,they belong at sea were they evolved as sea birds,next spring mr lock,mr stock and the heavy smoking barrel brothers will be coming.same applies to mink ,yanky crayfish and grey squirrels

[Anderoo]

Oh right, so cormorants just target roach then . What total nonsense people talk. At the end of the day people just don't like to see birds eating fish as they think they are only there for people to play about catching and having a bit of fun.

 

No, that's not it at all. There are many shades of grey and in my opinion this is one that does actually warrant intervention.

 

Just don't sign it if you think it's nonsense.

[Tigger]

the close season doesnt help,when i walk the ribble in spring you see them every hundred yards,put bums on the bank and there numbers are kept down,when a fully grown bird eats 4to5pd of fish a day ,a fishery in fresh water cant sustain that loss.at least a otter catches and kills its prey,not leaving them with gapeing woonds,and have terrotorys maybe upto a mile appart ,they belong at sea were they evolved as sea birds,next spring mr lock,mr stock and the heavy smoking barrel brothers will be coming.same applies to mink ,yanky crayfish and grey squirrels

 

 

 

No wonder the worlds xxxxxx

[fishtec1312]

No wonder the worlds xxxxxx

what is there to keep them in check,if i was a chicken farmer and foxes were eating my livelyhood,i woulb;nt have to apply to the goverment or put inflateable scarecrows up,you would blow them away.at sea they have predetors,that eat there eggs and chicks .but fresh water fish have not got the space like sea fish to escape,they may be in a river pool 7ft deep by 30 sq yards what chance have they got.thats whats the worlds coming to,just because it makes a success,dos;nt mean it should stay.if you owned your own fishery and 40 breading birds where nesting near, and eating your lively hood ,you wont be mellow then

[lutra]

the close season doesnt help,when i walk the ribble in spring you see them every hundred yards,put bums on the bank and there numbers are kept down,when a fully grown bird eats 4to5pd of fish a day ,a fishery in fresh water cant sustain that loss.at least a otter catches and kills its prey,not leaving them with gapeing woonds,and have terrotorys maybe upto a mile appart ,they belong at sea were they evolved as sea birds,next spring mr lock,mr stock and the heavy smoking barrel brothers will be coming.same applies to mink ,yanky crayfish and grey squirrels

When i was a young lad 30+ years ago fishing the ribble, I never saw a roach caught and i don't think there was any in the mid ribble at that time. It's only over the last 25 years that cormorants have become a problem, yet the roach fishing is better now than at anytime that i can remember.

 

I'm with Tigger on this one and think we should just leave them be.

[gozzer]

I won't be signing this or any other petition on this subject, until I see some results of a proper investigation into fish stocks. Just saying "there's a predator, it must be the reason", just doesn't wash with me.

I want to see results of water quality, (not just how clear the water looks), the effects of other 'imports' into our rivers, how any change in habitat has effected the food chain, etc, etc.

I would also like to see how the increase in overstocked stillwaters, compares to the increase in predator numbers. There have always been cormorants on our waters, but give them easy feeding and (surprise, surprise), their numbers increase.

 

I think that the increase in cormorant numbers on our rivers, is a direct result of overspill from the overstocked stillwaters. I also believe that the 'sex change' chemicals in the water have reduced the number of fry, and possibly weakened the strain. Add to this, the egg munching crayfish, and I wonder how any fish survive the first couple of years. This is just speculation on my part, because there has been no proper survey into the perceived problem. Until there is, all anyone can do is speculate. But to put the blame on their particular 'enemy of the moment', is neither helpful, or productive in solving anything .

 

John.

[fishtec1312]

When i was a young lad 30+ years ago fishing the ribble, I never saw a roach caught and i don't think there was any in the mid ribble at that time. It's only over the last 25 years that cormorants have become a problem, yet the roach fishing is better now than at anytime that i can remember.

 

I'm with Tigger on this one and think we should just leave them be.

fair enough with roach i agree,but if you can remember that far back you will remember the dace fishing down at the m6 bridge,where have they gone,right down the gizzerd of cormorants.idont think the ribble will ever be a big roach river,but the way it is ,it as;nt a chance

[lutra]

fair enough with roach i agree,but if you can remember that far back you will remember the dace fishing down at the m6 bridge,where have they gone,right down the gizzerd of cormorants.idont think the ribble will ever be a big roach river,but the way it is ,it as;nt a chance

Yes it's true the dace took a real hammering when the cormorants first came (as did a most of fish), but have you tried trotting maggot on the ribble in summer lately? Ive been finding maggot unfishable in summer on a lot of pegs in the last few years because there are that many dace.

 

IMO Nature is best left to it's own devises and most fisheries would be better off if man just left them alone and stop interfering with them.

[arbocop]

Just saying "there's a predator, it must be the reason", just doesn't wash with me.

I want to see results of water quality, (not just how clear the water looks), the effects of other 'imports' into our rivers, how any change in habitat has effected the food chain, etc, etc. I would also like to see how the increase in overstocked stillwaters, compares to the increase in predator numbers. There have always been cormorants on our waters, but give them easy feeding and (surprise, surprise), their numbers increase.

 

Add to this, the egg munching crayfish, and I wonder how any fish survive the first couple of years.

 

This is just speculation on my part, because there has been no proper survey into the perceived problem. Until there is, all anyone can do is speculate. But to put the blame on their particular 'enemy of the moment', is neither helpful, or productive in solving anything .

 

John.

 

 

I concur with the above. I will only add that I may be wrong, and I am willing to be proven wrong. However, without any scientific evidence, a website and other data based on sightings and anglers information (at the best if tiems we are regarded as exaggerators) isn't going to compete with statistics. But, if we are sure of our opinion, there are millions of anglers. Why don't we pay fisheries scientists for research and study?

 

When did a petition ever do anything anyway? Unless it is vote winner (which it isn't) it will do nothing. Mr Benyon will encourage us until such time as we reach a position where he has to do something which will be after an election. It's political fluff. There is no will to do anything, and until there is any concrete evidence to the contrary I don't think we should be asking for a petition for anything. There are at least as many anti's and even more apathetic mebers of the public. I f we say kill cormorants we wil be against everyone.

 

It will end our sport for good if we carry on - we are outnumbered. Don't play into their hands.

 

I won't be signing, but a petition is like a vote. It's your choice. If you feel strongly about it, put your name on it.