Otters

[Chris Bishop]

A new report from the Otter Trust reckons Tarka and his mates have now re-colonised most of Britain's river systems. Top banana.

However, the effects of this are more and more fisheries suffering fish kills.

No way would I ever advocate going back to hunting these beautiful creatures.

The problem appears to be that population shifts (or declines, depending who you believe...) in many rivers mean otters have started preying on commercial fisheries.

Otter-proof fencing costs a bomb, is there another answer which doesn't involve destroying them..?

 

[Jon Moores]

Do you think it may be that some of the problems are with released otters which may be less scared of us than truly wild otters are? The populations may sort themselves out and move to quieter spots as they naturalise. I have read somewhere that releases of captive bred otters have recently stopped, because of their success.

 

[Chris Bishop]

They haven't got much space left for re-introducing them, because wild populations have picked up considerably since the all-time low of the late 70s, early 80s thanks to less pollution, the end of otter hunting, and foolish folk digging little holes in farmland and filling them full of pastie-sized carp.

 

[Andy Thatcher]

I like seeing Otters doing well as hopefully it means that the fish population is healthy enough to sustain them therefore we should be able to enjoy our sport. They are a natural early warning system that if monitored should tell us in advance of any problems with the rivers.

Despite all the doom and gloom you see in the press I'd rather have them than not as it shows and improvement in our water systems.

 

[Paul Williams]

Andy,
got to disagree with you on this one mate, i don't believe we have the same balance in our waterways now as we did when otters were in natural attendance, there natural prey is certainly not available on the same scale so they will look elsewhere.
I read a good article somewhere by Kevin Clifford, after a good debate he asked would you like to see Tyranasaurous Rex reintroduced just because it is now extinct?
I would be cock a hoop if our rivers were balanced enough to have otters playing on the far bank but i don't think they are, couple this with the exploding mink populations and we could have big problems with fisheries.

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Good point about mink Paul. I would like to think though that we aspire to reach the point in our flora and fauna before we really cocked things up though.

As regards Kevin comments about dinosaurs this is valid for creatures whose whole enviroment have disapeared. There are still populations of otters in England that have not needed any helping hand. It is a bit like saying that as salmon were extinct in the Thames that no efforts should be made to reintroduce them but there are.

 

[Kevan Farmer]

Mink are a far bigger threat to our waterways than otters. Of course we have our animal rights friends to thank for releasing them in ridiculous numbers from mink farms. A single otter generally has quite a large territory so it's not one to every few hundred yds. Besides which most wildlife trusts will only release otters into an area where they can survive. In other words, if they are likely to eat themselves out of house and home within a short space of time they are not released. They do tend to require more peaceful surroundings also than mink do. I honestly do not think we have anything to worry about where otters are concerned.

 

[Kevan Farmer]

Mink are a far bigger threat to our waterways than otters. Of course we have our animal rights friends to thank for releasing them in ridiculous numbers from mink farms. A single otter generally has quite a large territory so it's not one to every few hundred yds. Besides which most wildlife trusts will only release otters into an area where they can survive. In other words, if they are likely to eat themselves out of house and home within a short space of time they are not released. They do tend to require more peaceful surroundings also than mink do. I honestly do not think we have anything to worry about where otters are concerned.

 

[Mark St Jefferson]

One thing you might want to add to your thoughts on this is that the Otter hates mink, and I mean they genuinly seem to hate them. An Otter will kill any mink it finds in it's territory.

Also male otters have large territory's and so do tend to balance their own populations (as most predators tend to), and seeing as we now have so few natural predators left in the countryside, we need every one we can get, if we ever are to hope to re-balance our countryside.

 

[Gary Knowles]

I had a 'Tarka Tikka' from the Indian takeaway last night.

Its just like 'Chicken Tikka'........ but otter !

sorry.......

 

[Martin Wright]

What's going to happen when we see the first dead otter caught up in fishing line on TV - another publicity disaster awaits I'm afraid.

 

[Paul Williams]

No ANGLER would leave line about in this day and age would they?......all football fans are not hooligans, we must make it known that we like any pasttime have our temporary morons but that our plus's far out weigh the idiots minus's......I know what you are saying Martin i really do, but i'm sure more will be run over, but you are right they will make less publicity!!

 

[Dave Johnson]

GOOD EFFORT bARNEY......

 

[Mark St Jefferson]

Sorry Paul, but you obviuosly go to so much better behaved fishing venues than I do, (to which I envy you). I still find spools of line, broken and abandoned tackle and rubbish lying around on the banks.

You may be right that the better among us, now outnuber the idiots, but unfortunatley it only takes one idiot exposed by the media, to make us ALL look like fools.

 

[Paul Williams]

Mark,
I'm afraid i was writing a little tongue in cheek, hoping to shame anyone tempted to leave rubbish to see the light!!!
You are 100% right,it only takes one idiot and i have unfortunatly seen it happen......but we must keep putting over the virtues of good angling practices, that way hopefully more will take that path.
If i were in charge of a club or syndicate there would a "contract" to sign, then ANYONE proved to leave rubbish would be out...no questions!!

 

[Mark St Jefferson]

Sounds good to me Paul

 

[GrahamM]

Martin said, "What's going to happen when we see the first dead otter caught up in fishing line on TV - another publicity disaster awaits I'm afraid."

I take your point Martin but I think that's unlikely to happen simply because, unlike a bird, the otter can chew through any line, including wire trace.

 

[Martin Wright]

I really hope you're right Graham and I agree its less likely than with swans, but about 5 years ago I found a dead mink caught up in line on the Bristol Avon- and they've got sharp teeth too.
Of course though, I'd love to see otters on my river and my message was slightly alarmist (I hope)
ps - thanks for the info on the reel.

 

[Del Jarman]

Paul, I belong to the Verulam club at St. Albans it is in the rule book anybody who leaves litter in a swim, even if it is somebody elses is barded so quick there feet dont have time to hit the deck. I think it should be like this in all clubs and on day ticket waters.

 

[Lee Foulkes]

I did a short evening session on my local river last night and removed two floats complete with hooks from overhanging trees, one feeder and picked up empty sweet wrappers from two other swims, this unfortunatley is an all too regular occurence.
Like the Verulam club, Reading and District have similar rules but the problem is they are never enforced.
Fishing one of there stretches a few years back my brother and I were asked for our permits by a club baliff who was supervising a club match on the stretch we were fishing, he proceded to give my brother some grief because he hadn't signed his permit threatening to reprt him to the commitee etc. When the match was over we collected half a bin sack of litter from a variety of swims, all left by the "baliffs" club mates. He didnt seem to apply the rules to strictly with regard to them.
Like most rules they only work if they are enforced. On popular stretches where the general public have access like much of the Kennet, anglers litter is very visible and doesn't show us in a good light, if clubs really care, perhaps a few seasons of draconian action against those that leave litter may help to sort out the problem, if not at least banning the morons would ensure they can't continue to do it.