Massive carp cull on Bristol lake

Graham Whatmore · Nov 8, 2009

I first saw this on the local news on Friday and it seems the occasional swimmers are in danger of being eaten by the overstocked carp in Henleaze lake in Bristol. Reading Ian Clokes thread reminded me of it.

Two tons of fish being slaughtered seems a bit over the top to me and that the carp have disease is perfectly normal, all carp in all lakes have diseases which is why we don't allow random tranferring of fish. Why can't they be moved to a suitable lake that doesn't have carp and I am also thinking of newly dug lakes as well as existing ones, surely they could be held until such a place requires them.

Ian Cloke · Nov 8, 2009

Graham, HERE is a report from "this is Bristol", it appears the anglers have set up a facebook account in protest.

Morespiders · Nov 8, 2009

My brain isnt what it used to be, but if they take a hundred fish out weighing two tons, how big are these carp?
Forget them though the remaining sixty five fish weigh three tons, no bloody wonder the swimmers are frightened.
Someone please get me a ticket, these fish would make the world record fish look very small indeed

PS If i get a ticket i could also hold the carp record with the smallest of the remaining sixty five

preston96 · Nov 8, 2009

Stuff the carp........how big are the pike and perch they are leaving in to control the carps number!!

Steve Spiller · Nov 8, 2009

I had to read it a few times Spiders, the weight includes the roach and bream, I think?

I've never fished the place, but if I did I don't think I'd be happy. How can they talk about fish stiring up the bottom and reducing water clarity when it is open to swimmers, surely they would stir it up much more than a few carp feeding???

I might pop over and have a bash at the pike though, they might be hungry when all their food is removed.......

Morespiders · Nov 8, 2009

Yes Mr Spiller, i read the other bit, the place does sound like its overstocked to me, how many swimmers are they going to kill?, no wonder the waters cloudy if 1,200 of them get in the pond, whats wrong with these people, swimming in dirty muddy water, wouldnt be me, with the threat of weil's and god knows what else.

klik2change · Nov 9, 2009

I heard on the evenining news today, Monday, that 20 anglers have chained themselves to the railings around Henleaze lake... the EA are also involved - on the swimmers' side.

Surely we should be supporting these peoole wholeheartedly??

The idea of KILLING such a large number of fish is abhorrent to me at any rate! As Graham said above, most carp are diseased anyway, and there must be somewhere to put these fish rather than just killing them? Or is it just a case of money talks? Heanleaze is a wealthy area of Bristol, or most of it is... Perhaps some angling club could help?

Graham Whatmore · Nov 9, 2009

The local news report tonight said that further talks are planned and the cull is temporarily suspended There is a report that says a local angling club are willing to take the excess fish but will they be allowed to transfer them due to their recognised diseases? Watch this space.................

When my local lake had a carp kill about 8 or 9 years ago we (I was a committee member) had a report on the examined fish that went to Suffolk for examination, the list of diseases covered one and half pages and among them were two notifiable diseases, this in fish that until the sudden kill never affected the carp at all. On top of that the very considerable quantity of bream, roach and tench were unaffected before, during and after the kill and there are now carp to 40lb in the lake.

Stealph Viper · Nov 9, 2009

What disease do these Carp have ?

Is the disease the reason they want to Cull them and not relocate them ?

Graham Whatmore · Nov 9, 2009

All fish in lakes have diseases, these won't affect those fish one little bit but if you transfer those fish to another lake where there are resident fish they will be affected and probably die.

klik2change · Nov 9, 2009

Graham Whatmore said:
All fish in lakes have diseases,

That's another reason to fish rivers! Disease is much less prominent. Even Weil's disease, which while present in rivers, is nowhere near as virulent as in lakes. Lakes can be dangerous places for humans as well!

The disease was said to be something called "nosebleed" - at least that's what it was called on the Today prog this morning. The EA certainly did give the disease/s whatever it is /are, as a reason not to relocate the fish.

tigger · Nov 10, 2009

klik2change said:
The disease was said to be something called "nosebleed" - at least that's what it was called on the Today prog this morning. .

Didn't the people in Royston Vasey have that same disease .....in the league of gentlemen ?

Ian Cloke · Nov 10, 2009

Angry angler chains himself to rails at protest over cull of carp

A freshwater swimming club’s plan to cull hundreds of fish to improve water clarity at a lake has sparked fury from anglers - with one of them chained to the railings today.

The fishermen share Henleaze Lake, in Bristol, with the outdoor swimmers, who want the number of fish cut to reduce algae which clouds the water.

But the Environment Agency (which advised on the cull due to be carried out by a private firm) said there was thought to be a “spat” between the two groups using the lake.

Veteran fisherman David Hodges, 59, chained himself to bars at 8am this morning saying he was “disgusted” the way the 200 anglers had been treated.............

Graham Whatmore · Nov 10, 2009

I should imagine that bugs in fish are much like bugs in humans. We all have bugs and we all have resistance to bugs that our bodies adapt to as we grow up, move us to another country though and we develop all sorts of funny things until our body adapts. British drinking water is a prime example, water on the continent is as pure as ours and sometimes even purer but we are still advised we can't drink their water without suffering the well known consequences.

When I travelled the world in the 50's and 60's I never even thought about not drinking the water, I drank it like all the rest onboard and we very rarely contracted any bugs and I travelled extensively over the far east and the Mediterranean

Ian Cloke · Nov 10, 2009

Bristol anglers' protests get condemned fish off the hook

Plans to remove and kill hundreds of fish from Henleaze Lake have been postponed after anglers protested and one chained himself to railings in protest.

The committee of Henleaze Swimming Club, which manages the lake, was hoping to close it this week so that the lake could be de-stocked to improve the water clarity.

But angry anglers spent nearly 12 hours yesterday protesting outside the gates to stop contractors AES getting in. A chain was keeping the gates shut – which the group of about 10 protesters claimed they did not put there – and strong glue had been put into the padlocks..............

Jim Crosskey 2 · Nov 10, 2009

devils advocate

Surely if the swimming club own the lake, its theirs to do with as they please? I could be wrong (and I'm just using the figures that seem to abound in the reports) but I would suspect 1200 swimmer might generate a better revenue stream than 200 anglers, please let me know different if anyone knows?

Does anyone here actually have a genuine legal perspective on this - if so, it's a job for Fish Legal...

The fact that the fish are to be destroyed is regreatable but it would seem to be folly to stock them somewhere else if the parasite could lead to a fish kill?

Incidentally, the EA have to juggle everyone's interests, not just anglers

Massive carp cull on Bristol lake

Graham Whatmore

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Ian Cloke

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Morespiders

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preston96

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Steve Spiller

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Morespiders

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klik2change

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Graham Whatmore

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Stealph Viper

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Graham Whatmore

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tigger

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Ian Cloke

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Graham Whatmore

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