How many lbs of fish do Cormorants need to eat per day to survive?

[Cakey]

I just wanted to show the anti fishing lot that probably read all these pages for ammo that we aint all selfish anglers .
at the mo we want to kill otters and cormerants ,ban canoes bikes dogs etc and ban sh!tting between fridays nights to sundays nights in case theres an accident :wh
and your bear joke is rubbish ha ha ha

 

[geoffmaynard]

Well, anyone checking you out will soon find they are dealing with someone highly respected for his charity auctions, among other things.

They won't find that with me of course - but I'm prepared to argue my case for predator controls to all and sundry, anglers or antis. And loudly. It's pretty easy when you have facts and knowledge on your side rather than just misinformed emotion - which is all the antis usually have. Arguing with anglers is rather more difficult as they are usually much better informed. Even if they are wrong!

 

[tigger]

On another forum recently there was a person ranting about the fact that the presence of otters on a stretch of their river has caused the dissapearance of the fish, namely chub and barbel and how before the otters arrived on the scene they where plentyfull. I fish on a couple of local rivers and know for a fact there are otters on it yet it's made no difference to it's chub and barbel numbers, nor have the cormorants affected the roach and dace populations as everytime I go ( in the right fishing conditions) I bag up up with the blighters.

Geoff, pollution does occur everyday and all across the country and in lots of waters and an awfull lot of anglers have no sense of fish welfare and I bet if you counted the dead fish caused by them across the width and bredth of the country they'd account for far more fish deaths than cormorants. I aint no do gooder or tree hugger and if I'm fishing and I see a cormorant in the river I automatically get the hump but wev'e gotta be realistic about the damage they do which IMO is far less than anglers seem to belive. You take notice whenever the cold weather sets in and fish are hard to catch the anglers always start spouting that the otters and cormorants heve eaten everything LOL.

 

[Steve Spiller]

On another forum recently there was a person ranting about the fact that the presence of otters on a stretch of their river has caused the dissapearance of the fish, namely chub and barbel and how before the otters arrived on the scene they where plentyfull. I fish on a couple of local rivers and know for a fact there are otters on it yet it's made no difference to it's chub and barbel numbers, nor have the cormorants affected the roach and dace populations as everytime I go ( in the right fishing conditions) I bag up up with the blighters.

Geoff, pollution does occur everyday and all across the country and in lots of waters and an awfull lot of anglers have no sense of fish welfare and I bet if you counted the dead fish caused by them across the width and bredth of the country they'd account for far more fish deaths than cormorants. I aint no do gooder or tree hugger and if I'm fishing and I see a cormorant in the river I automatically get the hump but wev'e gotta be realistic about the damage they do which IMO is far less than anglers seem to belive. You take notice whenever the cold weather sets in and fish are hard to catch the anglers always start spouting that the otters and cormorants heve eaten everything LOL.

Tigger, please accept my apology for what I said earlier, the red mist comes down sometimes.

I agree with you about pollution, but I can't believe your statement above that I highlighted. Have you ever watched a cormorant working on a lake? They dive and come up with fish almost every time.

 

[Tee-Cee]

From what I've seen they seem to start on the smaller fish when feeding young but go for the bigger jobs when hunting for themselves-I've watched this via bino's and I'm amazed at the size of fish they can swallow ans even more amazed that they don't stop at one!!

...something needs to be done soon.....but what when even fishermen disagree??

 

[Steve Spiller]

Tee-Cee the only way forward is to get proof.

We need a credible study from across the country on how much they eat.
The E.A aint gonna touch it with a barge pole because they say there isn't a problem, I doubt the ATr will do it either, which pains me! Hopefully the PAG will perform a legal study of how much they eat. This would involve shooting cormorants legally across the country, at the same time of day when they go to roost (I believe) then disecting their stomachs to find out what they've had.

It would take time, but I believe it would give an honest credible finding. Comorants could be tagged and tracked, GPS would tell us where they go and what they get up to.

It needs doing and I hope the PAG can do it.

 

[geoffmaynard]

Steve - the figures are all there and the data was nicely presented in a ribbon-wrapped parcel for the Moran Committee years ago. The problem is that in our British political world, one influential lobbyist (who probably wears the correct school tie) has probably more impact than all the data in the world. This is why I argue against Fred re numbers of ATr members - a few loud and prominent ones are worth 10,000 faceless ones. Witness the success of the CA protests over foxhunting.

 

[tigger]

Tigger, please accept my apology for what I said earlier, the red mist comes down sometimes.

Accepted, thank's for that your a gent !

 

[Steve Spiller]

Steve - the figures are all there and the data was nicely presented in a ribbon-wrapped parcel for the Moran Committee years ago. The problem is that in our British political world, one influential lobbyist (who probably wears the correct school tie) has probably more impact than all the data in the world. This is why I argue against Fred re numbers of ATr members - a few loud and prominent ones are worth 10,000 faceless ones. Witness the success of the CA protests over foxhunting.

How much do you know Geoff? I feel like giving up mate and becoming 'a faceless one'

Thanks Tigger, I don't like falling out with anyone....it's all about fishing at the end of the day...

 

[geoffmaynard]

I know nothing mate - I went to the wrong school (the same one as Fred and Cliff) But it's well known the old school tie brigade run this country, no matter which political party is supposedly in control. Yes Minister!

 

[Tee-Cee]

I thought politics was banned on this ere site-'old school tie'is a bit heavy...I have one of those and its done me no good whatsoever!!!

Stroud Green Secondary Modern,Hornsey N London...probably the skull & crossbones that puts people off.......

 

[tortoise100]

Sprinkle chilli powder on your nuts, worked for me...

Don't try this at home folks I once get into a girlfriends very bad books after making a curry but it wasn't my nuts that i touched after handling chilli powder.

 

[cg74]

Steve - the figures are all there and the data was nicely presented in a ribbon-wrapped parcel for the Moran Committee years ago. The problem is that in our British political world, one influential lobbyist (who probably wears the correct school tie) has probably more impact than all the data in the world. This is why I argue against Fred re numbers of ATr members - a few loud and prominent ones are worth 10,000 faceless ones. Witness the success of the CA protests over foxhunting.

Geoff, by CA do you mean the Countryside Alliance, if yes, despite lying and conniving their way around the rural community.

Telling everyone how they were an action group for rural affairs, therefore falsely boosting numbers on their march against the Hunting with Dogs Act.
"Success" you say, a very subjective and blinkered view of the meaning of success, the Act still stands as law!!

 

[tigger]

Thanks Tigger, I don't like falling out with anyone....it's all about fishing at the end of the day...

Absolutly, it's easy to fall out over bollox on a forum. I used to but now I think i've got the hang of my emotions/temper now as I think I've made myself look more than stupid far too often LOL. A conversation with someone in the flesh is far easier and you can get your point over without loosin it the same.

Regarding the cormorants...they do pi$$ me off if I'm fishing and one pops up and to be honest I'd shoot the ****** if i had a gun in my hand at the time, but I honestly think the damage they do is far less than is suggested as they simply don't eat as much food as people say they do. I think the places where they would do most damage would be a purpose built/dug pool for carp or match fishing. These type of places are easy for the birds to catch dinner as there is no hiding places or retreats for the fish and they are usually uniformed bottoms and shallow so the birds will come in force to take advantage of the easy pickings until there's ****** all left.