Oh lord, here we go again. Barbel V otter threads on these boards must number in their thousands by now. Older members get a trifle fed up with the subject, because such threads invariably end in heated exchanges and lost tempers, which isn't good. I know new anglers join the forum on a regular basis, and quite naturally start asking the same old questions all over again, sort of 'Ding ding, round 148' type thing
So, can we not have a 'Hints for new members' section on here, in which it is suggested that new members do a search, read all the old threads before asking the same old same old? It would save my blood pressure issues for a start
.
Anyway, to offer up my opinion in answer to the OP's question, the basic facts are that otters kill barbel, just as they kill anything else that swims, slithers, crawls or flies. If it is made of flesh, and if they can get to it, then they WILL kill it...they are the apex predators in their environment, so that is hardly surprising is it? As to the question "Why do they kill barbel in preference to any other fish?' I think the answer to that is....they don't. They are opportunistic killers, they will kill and eat anything which presents them with a reasonable opportunity. They no doubt have their favourites, but they are still ruled by the basic survival instinct which demands that they kill anything easy, anything that presents a good return of energy, a return which obviously MUST outweigh the energy expended in catching the prey item.
In my opinion, the idea that otters eat barbel in preference to other fish is brought about by several factors, some of which have already been mentioned. For instance, if a river has an issue, or more likely a collection of issues, which has brought about a situation whereby barbel have problems in successfully spawning, then the inevitable and obvious end result will be less, but far larger barbel populating that river.
The much quoted example of the Great Ouse in Bedfordshire, Adams Mill and Kickles Farm, are prime examples of this theory in action....fewer, bigger fish. Once that situation arises, and otters then return in great numbers, then those large old fish are doomed. They will no longer be as fast as the young, sporty teenagers they once were, and they probably have rarely if ever seen a barbel before. Add to that the fact that the same water issues that affected the barbel may well have decimated many of the other fishy residents....then there is only one way it's going to end really, isn't there? Bye bye Billy, probably never see your like again.....and hello theory that 'otters only kill big barbel'. The 'ripping the throat out' bit is true, but probably only where there is a glut of food available. So...in my opinion, otters do NOT prefer barbel, or large barbel in particular, for any other reason beyond the obvious fact that big barbel give big returns...because they ARE big...and they ARE slow....because they are old. An opportunistic killers dream.
I will add one thought to this, just because it rankles so much. It has been suggested on these boards that those huge barbel mentioned in the previous paragraph actually deserved to die
The rather bizarre logic seems to be that these fish were somehow 'unnatural', they were likened to that most evil of all evils....'BIG CARP'.... (sorry if those two words have upset anyone of a delicate disposition
)
The fact is that ALL of these fish are natural. They are natural to the set of circumstances that WE have forced upon them. The barbel didn't ask to have poor water quality that prevented successful spawning, the carp didn't ask to be placed in lakes where they are protected from predators, none of them asked to be fed huge quantities of high protein food...WE forced all that on them, and being natural born survivors...they took it all and somehow survived. They are the
natural outcome of those circumstances. In what way then do these fish 'deserve to die'? Madness.
Cheers, Dave.
