Pike Culls

Whilst I have the utmost respect for what the PAC are doing and what they are trying to acheive, it sometimes is necessary to have a pike cull.

Following a study by a renowned fisheries expert on one of our small stillwaters, we found we had a big predation problem. There was an excessive number of pike and eels in the water which was preventing the other silver fish from thriving. We were advised to take some out, as these predators eat about 4-5 times their own weight in fish per year. We were also advised not to remove the large pike if we wanted a balaced, self-sustaining fishery. Hence we have a policy, like this other club concerned, of removing all pike under 10lbs in weight.

In the first year we removed approx 200lbs of eels and 200 pike. Since then, we have not removed any more eels and removed less than 6 pike per year over the last 3 years. Now our other fish are starting to progress, the pike are still there and breeding, and the fishery is coming good once again. So, yes it is necessary to cull pike - when the scientific facts demand it. We proved the pike were out of control on our water.

Pike maintain a natural balance, that's what the science says. otherwise how come they haven't eaten everything else centuries ago, leaving waters which only contain pike.

"Following a study by a renowned fisheries expert" - well he obviously didn't have a clue what he was doing if he advised that eels should be removed.

pike culls - the truth

Pike in Your Waters

Sorry a slight mistake in my dit, we took out 1200lb of eels. This was with the EA's consent at the time. 1200lb of eels and approx 800lb of pike were scoffing approx 10000lbs of silver fish a year. On a 10 acre water this is difficult to support. I for one, and 12 others on our commitee are happy that we made the right choice for OUR FISHERY.

[Mark Wintle]

I think the biggest problem is that there is no such thing as a balanced fishery. In other words the different species that are present, the proportions, ages, sizes etc. are dynamic and constantly changing. Different species dominate in turn, decline and others take over, over a period of years and decades.

Our problem is that selfishly we strive to maintain what is in our own narrow view some ideal that suits whoever has the most vested interest. (I'll understand that last statement myself in a minute). What Terry D describes is a situation that for whatever reason allowed the pike to do very well, perhaps too well. In time that balance would have changed (there would have been more larger pike), and the smaller fish would have thrived again as the number of smaller pike diminished.

When I get time I have it on my list of things to do to do a proper article on this dynamic fish balance (nearly a contradiction in terms) but my current writing workload precludes it.

I don't think it is a case of the PAC being right and Terry D being wrong or vice versa, but more a case of whose selfish interests need to be served!

"Pike culls - the truth"

Seems like that document is exactly what Terry's club did. And rightly so.

We've had this discussion before, recently. People can get too hung up about their favourite species. That's one of the problems of being a single species angler.

You have to look at the bigger picture and pike can be a problem and pike can end up stunted. That doesn;t do the pike any good and it's detrimental to all the other stocks. The EA are there to advise and that's what they did.

Well done Terry.

[Dave Smith]

"removing all pike under 10lbs in weight

so you remove all male fish, leaving only females. Females die in due course, leaving no Pike.

now fishery has a problem with millions of 2oz Roach.

no Balance.

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flip side is of course that given the opportunity I'll cull some Roach for livies.

But god help me If I thought of Culling, Barbel, Carp, Grayling........

Why can't people let nature have her way, she knows best.

Nature may know best, but she doesn't tell you where to start when you stock a fishery from scratch. And as we found out, the balance went too far one way and was taking nature far too long to redress. She's a wonderful thing, but needs a helping hand now and again methinks.