Angling's greatest enemy?

[Guest FishinMad2001]

Cormarants are a BIG problem to our waterways. Recently while fishing a local stretch of the Erne system I spotted 5 cormarants in an area of around 1 acre. This is incredible, a real problem and something muct be done about it!

 

My way or sorting it is to issue each angler with a shotgun so that these birds can be obliterated on the spot! Seriously though something must be done, but what CAN WE do?

 

------------------

Tight Lines,

 

Tyrone, http://www.tackleshop.co.uk/

[Guest euan pink]

http://www.cormorantbusters.co.uk check it out they have a petition going.

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

The 'seas are empty so the cormorants have come inland' argument just doesn't wash!

 

If there's a food source, the population will grow to take advantage of it, even in 'good' times.

 

Just as the collard dove arrived in England several decades ago, and is now everywhere, and as the black woodpecker has spread through Europe (and the first arrivals are awaited in East Anglia any day now) the Southern European Cormorants (which feed in freshwater, and may be a slightly differnt species to our own coastal cormorants) has spread it's range.

 

Awaiting them they find overstocked commercial fisheries, cleared of weed and features providing shelter from predators - and thrive!

 

And when the easy pickings of fishing puddles is exhausted, they move into the rivers

 

'The rape of the seas' theory absolves freshwater anglers of any blame in assisting these creatures to extend their range.

 

Sadly, any angler who has paid to fish, and demanded a water with easy fishing, has contributed to the problem.

 

The good news is that more 'natural' waters seem to recover quickly, and predator and prey do seem to find a natural balance, not so many bites maybe, but better specimens when the bait gets taken.

 

But the guys hoping to attract money to fisheries by grubbing out weed beds and stocking to heavy densities are losing a lot of stock!

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Guest darrell.cook]

Originally posted by Leon Roskilly:

 

If there's a food source, the population will grow to take advantage of it, even in 'good' times.

 

Just returned from work,and pleased to see that the point is receiving considered debate.Very interesting to read such different points of view.

Excellent point by Leon.Surely if the seas were to become a rich feeding ground once more for these birds the problem wouldn't dissapear from our freshwaters.Wouldn't we just have two populations?

[Guest fisherman]

As Darrell said if the sea was to regain the same amount of fish as in the ( good old days ) would the birds move back there.

Question is, why did they move to freshwater in the first place ?

Now that they are breeding on freshwater the young know no better and I should think they will stay there and we end up with two populations.

Dave

[Guest Danny H]

Originally posted by Andy Thatcher:

The attitude above is in my opinion the largest threat to angling.

 

I have said in this forum before that the sooner we ally ourselves to the conservationist movement rather than the kill them brigade the sooner I will feel happy there is a future for angling.

 

.

 

ANDY As this is election week, I will take the politicians lead, and try my arguement in less inflammatory terms.

Conservation, very good yes, On a very overcrowded island such as ours, isn't conservation about using control ?

If not is conservation about just letting a certain breed increase it's numbers to the detriment of other species?

Should we allow rats to increase with no control?

Cockroaches? Rabbits? Mink? Foxes?

Why are these birds any different, Are the cormarants endangered?

 

A problem has been noted by many people, If it does indeed exist, isn't conservation about doing something about it?

 

Or shall we all just bury our head in the sand and hope it goes away?

 

Man has had a hand in this, that is done, but would it make any difference if this had come about due to the weather, my point is we have a problem, we need a solution, surely the only limiting factor to these bird colonies expanding, is if the smaller fish dissappear, is that what conservation is about?

Cormorants do not have any predators controlling them, what do you think is going to happen?

In my view, if it pans out like it seems too

be heading, then what other answer can there possibly be?

 

I know the birds are only doing what is natural to them, but so are many other predators, why should birds be some sort of protected animal, is there some sort of animal hierachy.

 

 

And finally if nobody can get the go ahead to a controlled cull, will the RSPB

put their hands into their pockets and restock our fisheries ?

Put all the above in to a pot, stir, and there can only be one logical answer.

Let's not do a BSE or F&M again, we've missed prevention, let's act early enough to prevent an even bigger cull further down the line.

[Guest Adrian]

Loss of food source from coastal waters is a major problem for many birds, Puffins and Guillimots have been affected by the industrial fishing of sandeels, used for things like fertiliser and..er..trout pellets. Just why mankind has to start on the lower levels of the marine food chain is beyond me, still, some want to start on plankton and krill next.

 

Whilst Cormorants may have been driven in land by this rape of the seas, I think they have also become more confident. As a kid, you saw them offshore, through binoculars. The other week, I saw a dozen of them scrounging for scraps at the stern of a fishing boat tied up in Poole harbour. Is it that a once persecuted species has learnt that it is now safe?. Herons were once endangered and unseen in towns. Thier numbers have increased and thier feeding habits known to many with garden ponds. I am sure that the species learn of the dangers they face from Man, notice how a whole flock of Crows or Pigeons will fly from thier roosts at the sound of a shotgun.

 

If Cormorants were to be the subject of culling/shooting, I am sure they would leave areas that became associated with danger, you would not have to kill them all. I have noticed that on a stretch of the tidal Dorset Stour, they are a lot less inclined to hang around in areas that are within a stones' throw of the bank. Even the plucky ones get twitchy when a walker approaches.

 

They can be beaten. I think there are areas where Anglers can co operate with the bird lobby. If the Cormorants can be shown to upset Kingfishers and Herons then they may listen. There is an acceptance by the birders that Magpies are obliterating young songbirds in towns, likewise, they favour controlling non some native ducks, whose sexual exploits are producing hybrids with Mallards etc.

 

Cheers, Adrian

[Guest Andy Thatcher]

On some points we are going to have to agree to differ however I am heartened by the thought and care put forward in the chat.

 

Of course there isn't an easy answer and I can see a cull coming. I for one am not very happy with the idea but the fact remains that that is the only way numbers of animals seem to be controlled.

[Guest darrell.cook]

Having considered all the points raised,I would maintain that cormarants are alien,in that they are migrating from their natural feeding grounds i.e. the sea.

For this reason and to prevent depletion of freshwater stocks I wholeheartedly support a controlled cull.Hopefully in time they will become fearfull of inland waters and move back to the sea.

I appreciate that this may be unpleasant to some,much the same as the slaughter of carp in Australia.However as people have said on this forum,carp are alien to Australia and are upsetting the natural balance.So it is with the cormarant.

[Guest Leon Roskilly]

Originally posted by darrell.cook:

Having considered all the points raised,I would maintain that cormarants are alien,in that they are migrating from their natural feeding grounds i.e. the sea.

 

But these aren't (for the most part) familiar British coastal cormorants, come inland from the sea, but probably a sub-species from southern Europe (which usually feeds inland!)

 

As far as being alien, they breed and feed where conditions suit. A combination of global warming, and overstocked commercial fisheries means that conditions in Britain today suit them very well!

 

Tight Lines - leon