Goosander Predation

[grumpy]

Anyone else had problems with these saw toothed ducks, had 30 to 40 on our 2 acre water 2/3 yaers ago literally wiped out all the silver fish , we restocked built 12 /15 refuge cages they came back this winter herded the fish they get a fish per dive wiped us out again . Any help anyone

[dapper64]

Anyone else had problems with these saw toothed ducks, had 30 to 40 on our 2 acre water 2/3 yaers ago literally wiped out all the silver fish , we restocked built 12 /15 refuge cages they came back this winter herded the fish they get a fish per dive wiped us out again . Any help anyone

I have never heard of let alone seen a saw toothed duck. on a dam where we fished last year there was a heron that used to eat about twenty roach every time we were there so I assume it was there every night, which in the long term counts for a lot of fish.anyway we have been fishing the same dam a few times this year and there doesn't seem to be any roach left, which is probably why we don't see the heron any more either .we only saw one heron, so we can only assume that one is responsible.there does seem to be a lot of herons flying around these days so thats a massive amount of fish. these birds are a protected species so there is absolutely nothing anybody can do about it.

[Moggy]

Anyone else had problems with these saw toothed ducks, had 30 to 40 on our 2 acre water 2/3 yaers ago literally wiped out all the silver fish , we restocked built 12 /15 refuge cages they came back this winter herded the fish they get a fish per dive wiped us out again . Any help anyone

Yes...we had a pair that took up residence on the Wenning (Tributary to the Lune in High Bentham near Lancaster) The only coarse fish there are loach and ruffs etc. and the members took exception to the smolt being snapped up. Being a club bailiff and living virtually on the banks of the river, I did notice that one or two of the members (Who shall remain nameless) had taken to carrying shotguns, the problem did not persist. I'm not condoning this course of action, I am a conservationist at heart, but it did stop the decimation of our wild stocks!

Moggy

[Newt]

Definitions of conservationist on the Web:

someone who advocates the protection of a natural resource, usually by planned management, to prevent its depletion or destruction

www3.newberry.org/k12maps/glossary/

 

Sounds like a good case could be made for your shotgunners to be conservationist both at heart and in practice. Letting one critter wipe out multiple other species is usually not a good thing.

[Guest tigger]

Always PI**es me off when Anglers start to give the fish eating wildlife grief. At the end of the day they where eating fish long before pleasure anglers had appeared.

Leave the things alone if they eat a few fish let the mighty EA restock the water !

Edited April 7, 2007 by tigger

[Moggy]

Tigger

The gooseander isn't an indigenous species to the UK...this voracious predator was introduced for it's pretty plumage in the 1800's. The River Wenning AC has a membership of only 30 anglers, and most of their fees go to re-stocking the river from their own stock fish. I don't feel it's wrong to regulate the wildlife to aid their survival. Such indigenous predators as heron are free to come and go as they've always done.

 

Pulling out a beautiful young brownie with lacerations along it's flanks where a goosander has bitten off more than it can chew may change your mind about this. It's hard enough for the indigenous fish to earn a living as it is, in a spate river such as the Wenning without having to cope with needless injuries.

Moggy

[kleinboet]

Tigger, I agree with Moggy 100% on this one - but I see where you are coming from.

However these fish predations that we complain about are UNNATURAL!!! IT is the same old problem - We humans mess with the balance of nature and cause these things to happen, and then the conservationists say don't blame the birds.

Goosanders and Cormorants do NOT belong on the rivers and ponds of England!!

 

We have enough problems with the natural predators (i.e, the Grebe), which are, correctly, protected!

Edited April 7, 2007 by kleinboet

[Guest tigger]

Tigger

The gooseander isn't an indigenous species to the UK...this voracious predator was introduced for it's pretty plumage in the 1800's. The River Wenning AC has a membership of only 30 anglers, and most of their fees go to re-stocking the river from their own stock fish. I don't feel it's wrong to regulate the wildlife to aid their survival. Such indigenous predators as heron are free to come and go as they've always done.

Moggy

 

 

Fair enough, It's the Herons I'm mainly thinking of but the Gooseander has been arround for quite some time now.

[Guest tigger]

Tigger, I agree with Moggy 100% on this one - but I see where you are coming from.

However these fish predations that we complain about are UNNATURAL!!! IT is the same old problem - We humans mess with the balance of nature and cause these things to happen, and then the conservationists say don't blame the birds.

Goosanders and Cormorants do NOT belong on the rivers and ponds of England!!

 

We have enough problems with the natural predators (i.e, the Grebe), which are, correctly, protected!

 

 

As far as I know Cormorants have always been around, maybe not seen inland quite as common as these days.

I'm sure if the human race can waste the amount of fish they do when Trawlers are at work and indiscriminatly fill in ponds full of fish then a few birds shouldn't be branded as the baddies when they're just trying to eat to survive.

[ayjay]

A hasty search has revealed no information about the introduction of Goosander other than the fact that they first bred in the UK in 1871. If someone can point me to a reference I'll gladly read it.

 

Some more info here about numbers etc., taken from this link:- Defra info

 

3.1 The Size and Distribution of Breeding Goosander Populations

 

Goosanders first bred in Scotland in 1871, in Wales in the 1970s and in SW England in the 1980s. The breeding populations are concentrated from the S Uplands of Scotland into N England. Between 1987 and 1997 an increase of 3% p.a. was witnessed in Britain as a whole, and in Wales, where birds were colonising new ground in the east, 10% p.a. On Welsh rivers, densities remained lower (0.27 km–1) than in N England (0.37 km–1) though they became similar to those in Scotland (0.24 km–1).

 

3.2 The Size and Distribution of Wintering Goosander Populations

 

During the winter, goosanders are widespread in Britain, especially on reservoirs and natural waters, resident numbers being swelled by arrivals from the Continent. By 1990/91, WeBS counts recorded some 8,900 birds. Regionally, between 1966/67 and 1994/95, numbers stayed stable in most of E England and the N Isles, but increased by 11% p.a. in SW England & S Wales and increased by 3%-11% p.a. elsewhere The rate of increase appears to be slowing in Scotland. There has been infilling of the existing range and expansion into N Wales. Though most individuals are on reservoirs and natural waters, the highest rate of increase of 14% occurred on rivers/freshwater marsh and gravel pits. Little is known about birds on rivers.

 

Edit: WeBs = Wetland bird survey.

Edited April 7, 2007 by ayjay