Angler Arrested over Swan's Death

[Leon Roskilly]

See:

 

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/dis...;pNodeId=231777

[rooney888]

This is absolutely disgusting. Only 2 weeks ago I took a walk around the ponds with my Nan and she told me how the Female swan was killed by rubbish being left. I saw a man with his tent fishing on the edge of the pond, it shouldnt be allowed. Those ponds need to be cleaned up properly and hopefully thye will get another family of swans. I hope he is prosecuted! The ponds are also a disgrace, while imposing the fishing ban please look at all the sewage and waste around... that place should be preserved, not left the way it is.

 

Why do they assume that the angler left the rubbish. My local pool is often littered with bags, and guess wats inside empty bread bags left by the public who feed the ducks and chuck the bags on the floor.

 

"It is an absolute disgrace what happened to this poor creature. People who saw the incident said that a fisherman was yanking on his rod and almost breaking it to pull the hook out of the swan's bill

 

They dont think the angler maybe trying to get the bird in to get the hook out. I have to admit i hooked a Grebe wen it picked up my bait, i reeled it in and got the hook out and it was fine, Fed it some bait aswell to keep it happy.

 

You cant blame the angler tho for hooking the bird, If the pool was shallow there could be no way the angler could have stopped the swan picking his bait up off the bottom.

Edited July 8, 2007 by rooney888

[Peter Sharpe]

I have to admit i hooked a Cormerent wen it picked up my bait, i reeled it in and got the hook out and it was fine, Fed it some bait aswell to keep it happy.

 

With all due respect, whatever that bird was that you caught, I sincerely doubt if it was a cormorant and I can't imagine that it would have been in the mood for being fed anything.

 

I'm afraid that you can look in the bushes behind almost any swim in the country and you will find discarded filth left by so-called anglers. The problem is far worse on waters with public access, but even occurs on fisheries where you have to pay a considerable amount for the privilege to fish there. I hate to say it, but angling does seem to have more than its fair share of litter dropping scum and it's about time there were a few high profile prosecutions and banning orders to make people think twice about it.

[Steve Walker]

A nasty accident, by the sounds of it, rather than someone leaving litter. I wonder how many swans are accidentally killed by power lines every year? Maybe those demanding a fishing ban will also be giving up electricity?

[poledark]

Sorry Peter, can't agree with that "anglers have more than their share of litter droppers" Litter is a British desease...everywhere you go the country is covered in it.

 

Still, not the sort of publicity we need................

 

Den

[Anderoo]

All publicity with angling is bad publicity - no-one wants to report that a guy sat by a river all day feeding maggots to a robin and watched a kestrel hunting. At the same time, a bit of care and attention on behalf of the angler would probably have saved that swan's life. If it's a public pond I bet there's anglers' rubbish left around and I also bet that the general standard of angling is not great. But, these are the people the public see.

 

If it's 'not an official fishing spot' that means no baliff to keep people in check, no rules like take your litter home or you'll be banned, and no money generated to help maintain the pond.

[Dunk Fairley]

I had a meetiung with Dot Beeson (Egham Swan Sancuary) a few years ago. We discussed what to do if a bird picks up a bait. The absolutely worst thing you can do, is pull the line. What can start as a simple hoolhold in a birds gullet, tongue or beak, can turn into a very serious injury. If an accident happens, then the RSPCA should be contacted ASAP.

 

Advice is given in the FACT code of conduct, which I'm sure everyone has a least one copy of, don't they?

[Dunk Fairley]

Just in case there are one or two out there who haven't got, or seen the code, and therefore do not know the advice it gives, go here:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/saa/Code2002.htm

 

On page 5, advice is given. Put the various numbers into your mobiles and use them if, sadly, you need to.

[RPM]

I dont think the article blamed anglers specifically for the rubbish but I would bet my house that they contributed significantly to it. I often pick up about a carrier bag full of goodies including, but limited to, sweetcorn tins, meat tins and discarded line from the Trent near the Newark day ticket Barbel hot spots. It makes my blood boil and quite frankly the offenders need to be castrated, no excuses, no whats, no ifs, end of story. They don't deserve to fish in these beautiful surroundings and as far as I am concerned they can stay at home with their fridges in their gardens and rot.

 

The swan issue is a different matter altogether. I am an absolute animal devotee and this is something that I have instilled in my children so to hear of something like this almost brings tears to my eyes. Without wanting to be dramatic about it, take a moment to imagine the panic, pain and suffering that the poor bird endured before its demise and the loss of a cherished creature that probably gave so much pleasure to the local community - my daughters would be devastated by this.

 

Accident it may have been, but one which could have been avoided had he noticed that the bird was near his bait (if the pond was shallow) and pulled it in. I expect that I wont win any friends by saying this but others here that defend it really should look hard at themselves if they see this type of 'accident' as a tragic occupational hazard. I have two swans with which I share my space at a local pit or put differently, their home, and they, like the surrounding environment and inhabitants should be protected.

 

Both dropping litter and having less that utter respect for wild creatures as in this case should be treated in the same way as animal cruelty and neglect by the courts as when it boils down to it, that is basically what is happening. Not funny, not clever, no excuses. Clean up or clear off.

 

A large book should be found for this so called angler and thrown with great force at him.

 

Sorry, rant over, but it is something as you may have guessed, which is very close to my heart. :angry:

[Steve Walker]

Accidents cannot be entirely ruled out where waterfoul are involved. You can (and should) do everything you can to reduce the risk, but you can't be absolutely certain. He may not have realised that the swan was near to his bait, he may not have known how deeply swans can reach, he may have been wrong about how deep the water was where his bait lay. I've seen a diving duck caught off the bottom in 12' of water, and short of not fishing this venue there's no way of being absolutely certain it will never happen. This duck, by the way, was quickly released unharmed.