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Decline of the Burbot


Chris Plumb

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The first one is obviously a Sea Lamprey, Burbot were never known from the Eden. The second report just warrants a Gallic shrug of the shoulders, more likely to be juvenile Wels nowadays than a Burbot, but not particularly likely to be those either. The Gt. Ouse gets enough fishing pressure that it's all but impossible for a viable population to be present. Anyway, the plagues of Otters would have eaten them as an entrée to Barbel Bouillabaise.

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All,

 

From 1976 - how big would they be now?

 

""""

"Breeding them has never been done before in Britain.

"We have successfully spawned them and got more than 200 that are now two weeks old and measure up to 2mm in length.

"We collected the eggs and artificially fertilised them because this method gave us more control over the process.""""

 

Phone


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The last burbot report I know of that had any credibility was that caught by John i'Anson sometime in the 1960s near Cottenham, Cambs.

A long talk with John convinced me the report was genuine, and the fish was a burbot.

 

The late Dave Marlborough and I fished with John and one of his mates in the same swim as the burbot came from - a Friday to Monday session - lots of eels but no burbot.

 

Various rumours since all seem to be hoaxes.

 

If the habitat has become unsuitable, it is futile "re-introducing" species, but the EA as a body does not seem to realise that. I heard of one river that has a declining trout population, but because it is restocked yearly (and the trout take a long time to die) there is the EA saying the presence of trout proves that the riverine environment is just fine.

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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If the habitat has become unsuitable, it is futile "re-introducing" species, but the EA as a body does not seem to realise that. I heard of one river that has a declining trout population, but because it is restocked yearly (and the trout take a long time to die) there is the EA saying the presence of trout proves that the riverine environment is just fine.

 

Are anglers really any better? Each weekend match anglers queue up to pull out hundreds of lbs of finned commodities spawned via hormone injection, arguably the most popular fish in the country rarely breeds in the wild and is actually a domestic cultivar of the true wild fish, yet a false mythology has been created around it with total bolox about "heritage waters", "history fish", "character fish" and "old warriors" etc., then barbel, the dumbest fish in our rivers, gets dubbed "the prince of the river" on Bacefook and elsewhere, where the proclaimed best fishery in the country for them was actually a sad trickle full of fat old maids (the fish, not the anglers, although looking at some of them...) that couldn't even swim away from a supposedly hand-reared otter. The same circus clowns are now whining about the ditch called the Ivel I see.

I shouldn't go online after a few beers, I always worry afterwards I must sound like barmy Barry.

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All,

 

If "last seen" was in the 60's the creature can be declared extinct. That is both a question and a statement.

 

Phone

 

Edit: I believe it is 50 years?

Edited by Phone
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If "last seen" was in the 60's the creature can be declared extinct. That is both a question and a statement.

Plenty of burbot in N.America, Scandinavia,NE Europe and N Russia/Siberia. So not extinct.

 

Extirpated in the UK, yes.

 

...and yes, I am being pedantic

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Are anglers really any better? Each weekend match anglers queue up to pull out hundreds of lbs of finned commodities spawned via hormone injection,

I suppose in general terms you are right - my fishing is insulated from such, and has been for many years

 

By "anglers" I have always thought of myself and my late fishing mates - but as you say, the people you refer to are seen as "anglers" also. It is an unpleasant reality that such creatures (at each end of the line) are dominating what used to be a simple country pursuit.

 

It is as if every quiet family meal is being turned into a pork-pie eating contest (or in the USA, a hot-dog eating contest - there was some repulsive footage of such on a recent BBC news programme)

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Posh word for extermination! Also an extirpator is an implement for weeding - the word comes from the Latin exstirpare - to root out...(according to my Chambers Dictionary!)

 

C.

"Study to be quiet." ><((º> My Blog

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