Otter friend or foe

[cannibalspinners]

I love watching our local otters in our river But they take many fish , Friend or Foe

[Dales]

Maybe not friend but I am a Otter fan and not to bothered how much fish they eat.

[AddictedToScopex]

  Dales said:

Maybe not friend but I am a Otter fan and not to bothered how much fish they eat.

Yes they have as much right to be there as we do if not more. We can't complain that they do what comes naturally to them.

[Worms]

Definitely friend.....they keep a balance on a fishery, keeping sick, injured and old fish down. If you have otters you know that your river's in good order fish-wise!

[cannibalspinners]

Agree with all that too

However we also have mink in our river

I dont know which is more aggresive

But there seems to be a lot more mink

than otters

However , every year i see both their offspring

so they must can live together

, If i am wrong ,Please i would like to be educated

[Phone]

Teme,

 

Your reply smacks of "who's ox has been gored" sentiment.

 

Quote, "... suffered greatly...evidence that Otter is responsible is irrefutable" (I - and your EA dispute your statement.)

 

By what right or benefit do you get to make that call? "We anglers" is a pretty big group.

 

When a 200g Barbel filled river is your target maybe you should set your sights a little higher? Otter only RARELY eat any healthy fish over 3 lbs. Just maybe the otter will help you catch 2 twenty pounders rather than a keepsack full of 200g fish.

 

Our largest salmon rivers are also home to our most prolific otter populations. What's that all about?

 

Phone

[Vagabond]

  teme_man said:

of rivers that have suffered fish losses and the finger of suspicion is very much pointed at the Otter. the evidence that Otter is responsible is irrefutable.

When you were called Rabbit you said it was fish-eating, close-season-breaking Poles ! ...and if I remember right you said that was irrefutable also

 

  Quote

Pike and other predation will deal with sick fish, and coupled with the Mink, Cormorant, Heron, and so on we do have a willing work force, and of course MAN.

Ah, which men are these ? (No, not me, I've never eaten a sick fish in my life )

 

 

  Quote

if it was Salmon, be assured there would not be an Otter problem.

Nearly all the rivers where I have caught salmon have had a healthy otter population.

 

 

  Quote

We will have to cull I reckon

Now there's a U-turn if you like - the anti-hunting Rabbit now wants otters culled.

[Tigger]

  Vagabond said:

Now there's a U-turn if you like - the anti-hunting Rabbit now wants otters culled.

 

 

[Newt]

"Now there's a U-turn if you like - the anti-hunting Rabbit now wants otters culled."

 

If I remember correctly, Rabbit was a bit like a weather vane - shifting positions as the wind changed.

[JV44]

  teme_man said:

Blimey you all seem to be obsessed with this Rabbit, things must be so boring without him , what happened to him?

He came back under another name??