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Otter petition.

I don't know how you draw that conclusion from reading that article?

Talking of articles, this is an interesting one I read recently. Although it's about grouse shooting I think you can draw some comparison to fishing, particularly the predator/pray relationship he talks about in relation to managed prey numbers. In this case grouse, but I think the same would apply to managed fisheries, especially with heavily stocked waters.
https://countrysquire.co.uk/2016/11...hose-who-shoot/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
 
I love how things like that are published by so called experts. Anyone on here will tell you a similar story. I frequently see them in daylight, particularly in winter.
Personally I believe this is because they simply cannot catch enough food during thier normal hunting windows (crepuscular periods) so like an owl that’s struggling they too will feed for longer durations, even if this includes daylight.
In my own personal observations they are a hap hazard predator. Opportunistic but not very accurate. The reverse of say a cat. They seem to hunt and chase at great lengths for small items, usually silver fish of a around 6”. I can only assume that the calories spent to catch thier food, esp in low water temperatures must be vast.
 
Rhys Perry said:
I don't know how you draw that conclusion from reading that article?

Talking of articles, this is an interesting one I read recently. Although it's about grouse shooting I think you can draw some comparison to fishing, particularly the predator/pray relationship he talks about in relation to managed prey numbers. In this case grouse, but I think the same would apply to managed fisheries, especially with heavily stocked waters.
https://countrysquire.co.uk/2016/11...hose-who-shoot/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
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Which conclusion?
 
More likely they don't need to hunt nocturnally any more. Who'se going to be harrasing them in daylight?
Far more likely to get lead poisoning in darkness.
 
Paul Collins said:
More likely they don't need to hunt nocturnally any more. Who'se going to be harrasing them in daylight?
Far more likely to get lead poisoning in darkness.
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Possibly however the desire or need to be active during dawn and dusk is genetically programmed to them like it is to us the rise at dawn and sleep at dusk. It’s actually stressful and in extreme cases harmful to betray that natural clock. Various studies have been carried out on how night shift workers live shorter lives.
Whilst you could argue that it’s been bred out, a few thousand years of domestic life haven’t had that effect on my pet cat..
So to my mind it’s far more likely to be a reaction to stress, environmental pressures etc than the lack of them.
 
Eels generally only came out at night - when there were plenty of eels in our watercourses...
I'm sure it's because there isn't enough food to satisfy them, so they'll be up and about for longer periods of time. When I started seeing otters, some years back on the Ouse, it was always, bar one occasion, at night. Over the last two years I've regularly seen them in the day.
 
Rhys Perry said:
That they're running out of meal sized fish, nothing in that article to suggest that.

They're not exclusively nocturnal anyway.
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It wasn't a conclusion, it was a query/question. And it appears that the otters are hunting more out of their natural hunting hours, it's pretty obvious. I'm sure those on here who fish smaller southern lowland rivers will concur on that fact.
 
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Joe Fletcher said:
I am sorry to sound so negative . My own personal opinion is that there is no way now or in the future we are going to get any kind of control on Otters numbers . I for one believe that public opinion would be totally against it . I believe the best way forward is to drop the issue we have with Otters and take on the water company's to make them stop what they are pumping in to our rivers . First step would be to form a single pressure group consisting off all the interested party's in the fight for cleaner Rivers and waterways . Greenpeace , Friends of the earth , RSPB , Natural England , Angling trust etc etc .
Then approach the BBC , Sky news and all of the national news papers . Get a film made as to what the water company's are doing our rivers and waterways to show what an impact it is having on our rivers . Raise public awareness in what is happening . Then start a crowd funding page to raise money to get a legal team to take on the water company's . Perhaps it sounds all a bit far fetched . For me that is the way forward if we all work together
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I see a new pressure group has just been formed https://www.racg.co.uk/home-racg
 
Joe Fletcher said:
I see a new pressure group has just been formed https://www.racg.co.uk/home-racg
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yes I did see this and have joined, £4.99 to hopefully do something is a small price to pay. I wouldn't call them a pressure group though as that name does not go down well when your trying to work with wildlife type people which they aim to do with some joined up thinking unlike the way the barbel society as gone
 
I,ve been following this for a while, it makes no sense, removing otters and relocating them where?? Any one with any knowledge of the species will know that the dog otter is a very territorial beast, total opportunist, and a killer of anything that threatens his territory, including his own cubs over a certain age. Removing an otter will do nothing, others will simply move in, and quickly, removing all otters would be damn near impossible, and removed to where exactly, another river ?, out of site out of mind!!! And when the new litter spreads out from the failed total removal, same again? The only way to control otters would be to cull, that would never be acceptable to any of the controlling powers that be, or me and many others, accept them, let nature find its natural balance in terms of numbers and simply accept that fishing will change regardless. Your "pet" barbell/carp etc, named fish are not immortal, accept it, hard to contemplate, I know, but the truth often hurts!
Fencing off pits in river valleys, whilst it will protect the valuable stock in the lakes, may well increase pressure on river stocks, also environmental stock diversion, IE deer etc whose movements would be restricted, there are no winners!
peter
 
Heard on the grapevine that crayfish traps baited with FRESH fish, roach, dace, chub etc have unfortunately trapped and drowned quite a few otters.
Best to use something else to attract the crayfish.
 
Greg Buxton said:
I really don't see the difference between a farmer, small holder or landowner who has foxes taking lambs/chickens etc having the right to control them (cull). And a fish farmer, fishery owner, riparian rights holder or landowner being able to do the same with otters. I'm a big conservation and otter supporter, but numbers should be able to be controlled and culling is an appropriate and effective part of that. This would help protect other species including, ground nesting birds, water voles and fish populations. Otherwise as otters are an apex predator with no natural or managed control it will be a disaster for our waterways. I think the best option would be for licensed culling to be available as with cormorants.
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One thing Greg, as I understand it, the water voles are making a comeback as otters don't tolerate mink on their doorstep and don't actively hunt water voles.
 
But they are a key indicator of the health of our waterways, more otters the healthier are waterways are...ticks the box :)
 
Chris Guy said:
One thing Greg, as I understand it, the water voles are making a comeback as otters don't tolerate mink on their doorstep and don't actively hunt water voles.
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This is true, actually though as much as I would like to believe those Otter critters cared about the vole, I think it's just because the vole's hole is just too small...so to speak.
 
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