Angling's greatest enemy?

[Guest darrell.cook]

I refer to the dreaded cormorant.Des Taylor wrote a piece in AT this week on the subject.

He asked all anglers who have witnessed these alien cretures wreaking havoc on their waterways to write to their MP's.

At the moment it seems that little if anything is being done to combat this spiralling problem.Do you think that writing to MP's is enough?Should we form a petition demanding action or should we take direct action ourselves?

One thing's for certain sitting back and accepting it is no longer an option.

We talk at great length about the anti's,but these clowns do not pose the same threat as this menace.

I don't pretend to have the answer,but together we must find the answer,the clock's ticking......

[Guest phil hackett]

Originally posted by darrell.cook:

I refer to the dreaded cormorant.Des Taylor wrote a piece in AT this week on the subject.

He asked all anglers who have witnessed these alien cretures wreaking havoc on their waterways to write to their MP's.

At the moment it seems that little if anything is being done to combat this spiralling problem.Do you think that writing to MP's is enough?Should we form a petition demanding action or should we take direct action ourselves?

One thing's for certain sitting back and accepting it is no longer an option.

We talk at great length about the anti's,but these clowns do not pose the same threat as this menace.

I don't pretend to have the answer,but together we must find the answer,the clock's ticking......

 

Darrell

I'll respond to this later on tonight. It is as you point out an important issue

[Guest phil dean]

Ok, colours now being nailed...why are cormarants alien? Shags and Cormarants are native birds in Europe including the UK.

 

They never used to be an issue as there were shoels of fish at sea, now they come in land as we stock ponds with bite size fish whilst the seas are plundered.

 

The answer is for the course anglers to help conservationists restore the cormorants preferred source of food, and perhaps not ask for ponds crammed with fish. Killing cormorants will be of little longterm benefit as the majority breed on the coast, once some are killed others will move in. The route of the problem needs to be dealt with, killing cormorants is a short term fix and will not have the long term benefits required.

 

OK, head above parapet, please fire at will (or me if will doesn't want to be shot)

[Guest Fatboy]

I suspect Des Taylor was doing his usual

thing of being provocative to get people talking - regardless of the veracity of his

argument.

 

If cormorant are seen as a pest, what about heron?

 

Cormorant and Shag are water birds. Not sea

or fresh water exclusively. The only difference between cormorants / shags and us anglers are that we try to put the fish back alive.

 

Cormorant and Shag take fish as a food source - a bit more logical than catch and release (which is probably a modification of our own hunting instinct).

 

OK the owners of commercial fishing lakes do

lose fish to the birds and I feel for them.

However, I don't think any MP would fight this kind of battle - we are reaping the benefits(?) of mankind's habitat destruction.

 

Don't take it out on the birds - we're doing enough dmage to them already.

 

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

[Guest Mike_pk_Waters]

I agree that we should be doing more to restore the 'natural' food source and understand that what is occurring is a form of accelerated evolution with these birds.

 

However we have evolved more than them and have big gun's so lets shoot the lot before they arm themselves and fire back,remember its our children who will inherit this problem.

[Guest Danny H]

Why is it ok to cull foxes, but not these birds?

Both destroy so called resources.

Personally I think the rspb has a much too unhealthy strangle hold on to many things

to do with the countryside.

But what do I know?

As Elton has stated before there is a ROYAL society to protect birds, where'as Children only warrant a national society.

 

I fish as carefully as I can, I pay my fees

and I am sick of the sanctamonious looks I often take from the twitchers at the resi's

If a lure lands within a hundred yards of a lesser spotted milchwedger (or whatever they are called).

 

Not all birds can be considered equal, to anybody not a twitcher, some are quite obviously pests.

But why can't we have an equal say on the issue, could it be that the rspb has more clout, than mere coarse anglers

 

Shoot the b###### that's what I say(The cormarants that is), but I'm from the city.

 

I know they have lost their sea fish, but quite obviously they have too many numbers for the resources present.

They do not predate their own kind so how are

numbers going to be controlled until all the fish of a certain size have gone.

 

 

That's better, got that off my chest, you may fire at me now.

[Guest Alan Pearce]

Fatboy, I to feel forthe cormorant as I do for all wildlife. However until the balance can be re addressed, if it ever can, then we must protect our fish stocks. It isn't the so called commercial fisheries that are worst hit by them, these places are usually quite busy therefore keeping the birds at bay. It is the more natural wild and remote waters that are more at threat.

 

In my part of East Anglia during the past five or six years much of our fishing has been revagedby these birds and in many instances waters totally wiped out of smaller fish. One complex I'm currently fishing several pits of around 200 acres has no or very, very few small fish whatsoever. At present we are reaping the benefit of some big tench, carp and bream, but what does the future hold when these fish die off through old age. Nothing to replace them thats what, and with the exception of carp that live to a great age there will benothing left. Here too predatory fish like pike and perch are already showing the signs of the lack of food.

 

Other water birds like grebes, herons and kingfishers are moving on to find other more suitable habitat. And its not just the still waters many rivers are now feeling the brunt of this long standing predation. Near to my home there are long stretches of the Suffolk Stour where you could fish all week without a bite, yet 10 or twelve years ago they were prolific natural fisheries. Today only a few big chub, bream, carp and the odd barbel survive. The once prolific pike fishing is long gone, save the odd skinny jacks.

 

Action is needed now to protect the remaining fish stocks whilst the cormorants habitat is hopefully restored.

 

Alan.

[Guest pikelines editor]

All,

 

If you think Cormorants do some damage, you should see Goosanders in action!

 

They work in a flock and only go for the eyes and brain tissue as they are full of proteins. One episode at Castle Howard springs to mind.

 

The Goosanders were working the far bank, (unobtainable to the public) as the wind was pushing towards us we were amazed to see hundreds of mauled skimmers floating in.

 

We bagged up on fresh deadbaits, albeit with smashed skulls and no eyes! The rest of the fish was untouched. Some were as big as 8 ounces, how many they needed to satisfy their greed heaven knows. No wonder the piking can be hard with all that free grub!

 

Best,

 

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

Steve Ormrod

[Guest Andy Thatcher]

Shoot the b###### that's what I say(The cormarants that is.

 

Apologies for just quoting that part Danny H but it is indicative of some of the replies that follow.

 

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.

 

As regards culling being the answer I am against any shooting for the control of numbers as rare species have a habit of dropping out of the sky. Last week for example a scottish game keeper who was supposed to be shooting rabbits got a £2000 fine for shooting a Montagues Harrier. Not the answer.

 

Angling should also be able to point out the lose of stocks to gain credence as a conservationist movement.

 

I suspect that angling will have to put up with the loss of coarse stocks until the cormorants natural larder is restocked. We are able to restock fish of all species into waters we are not able restock individuals of rare or endangered birds that would occur should shooting be allowed.

 

 

Before replying and agreeing or disagreeing with me I am just going to add a thankyou to Elton for having this forum as this is the type of topic that can make a difference to your thinking and shows this media at it's best.

[Guest fisherman]

I am sure this has cropped up before, all these birds are trying to do is survive.

We have raped the sea and taken virtually all of their first choice of food, who can blame them for taking the easy pickings at fisheries.

How long would one of us last in the middle of no-where with no food.

How long would you wait if given the opportunity of eating a nice white bunny that is bred for the table, although it looks like the family pet. Would you starve or eat and survive.

We are the ones that are supposed to know what we are doing, the birds are just looking for food. Stop raping the sea and perhaps things will improve.

Rant over.

Dave