• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Chris Packham

Paul Richardson said:
Interesting that we never got my daughter' tested'. From a baby we knew she was different to other kids but we genuinely put it down to the gene pool as my family are as mad as wasps ( lots of eccentrics, so quite normal to me). She was just her. Academically she was top tier so it never really got mentioned by the school. In hindsight I'm glad we never got her tested or labelled. We haven't seen her for a year, she went to Spain for a weeks rest and never came back, walking out on one life and starting a new one out there like it's the most normal thing to do. Most people cannot comprehend it , but people who know her laugh and smile enviously cos that's just her - a free spirit. Very proud of her.
Click to expand...
She’s lucky to have understanding and caring parents
 
Alex Gowney said:
The thread is about Chris Packham. Some people are going to be for him, and some not. That is what discussions are about. Do we have to pretend to like him just because he is on the autistic spectrum? All a matter of opinion.
Click to expand...
I have less of an issue with people criticising his views - although I respect the views he has - but more of an issue with criticising him in relation to manifestations of his disability - its a bit like mocking someone with polio who walks with a limp.

However, I concede that many people don't understand the manifestations of autism whereas I have had quite a lot of experience of people with autism from my work as a teacher, I didn't have much knowledge of it before I became a teacher.

I'm not trying to have a pop at any individual but I guess I'm saying if you don't know much about autism make it your business to find out...
 
Last edited:
Interesting read fingers inside the sparkle jar, he used to fish and has worked for gamekeepers in the past whilst I don't agree with some of the instinction rebellion mob ideas and the more out there idiots who would ban angling full stop he does raise some valid points. But to me fishing and nature have always gone hand in hand folks like Ray Mears and his latest book we are nature get my vote. We are only here for such a short duration leave only footprints , or at least don't clear to much of that overgrown swim for every other buger to fish .

.
 
Alex - I can't help but agree with you. He's passionate about the natural world, and that has to be a good thing. As to whether, or not, he supports angling - well, he's allowed an opinion surely. Just because it conflicts with mine makes little difference to me.

All these ultra-negative views on a public-accessible forum is really just adding fuel to the fire of the anti-angling brigade.
 
I have previously defended both Packham and Wild Justice for continuing to put illegal raptor persecution in the public domain. The shooting industry seems to think it’s a myth or down to a few bad individuals, but this is far from the case in my experience.

I’ve been a member of the RSPB for around 40 years and I passionately believe that UK birdlife would be in a worst state without them. I seem to spend half my life defending the RSPB on social media, from two main groups, who are shooting industry and animal rights activists.

The shooting industry hate the fact that in addition to Packham, the RSPB highlight raptor persecution, on sporting estates. Here’s a classic example of why it’s not a myth:

https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwo...t-eared-owl-shooting-a-tale-of-the-unexpected

Just watch the video at the end, where someone is illegally shooting Short-eared Owls, to boost grouse chick numbers 😡😡😡

Re the other trolls, the Animal Rights Activists / Extreme Vegans, I honestly believe that these people are the biggest threat to UK conservation/biodiversity (and fishing to some degree). They aggressively troll the RSPB over their species control measures, with examples being:

- Of 6 species of deer found in the UK, 4 are non-native. They have no natural predators in the UK and if numbers are left unchecked, they prevent woodland regeneration, meaning unique habitats like Caledonian pine forests will simply disappear!

- Some ground nesting bird species have experienced catastrophic declines in recent decades. As a last resort and where fencing isn’t practical, corvids and foxes will be controlled lethally. All perfectly legal and encouraged by Natural England and their devolved equivalents in Wales and Scotland.

- The control of non-native American Mink, as anglers we know the devastation that Mink cause to other native aquatic wildlife. Just look at how the Water Vole has been pushed to extinction in many areas.

You debate and challenge these people on the above points, yet they have no practical answers or alternatives. A belief that all life is sacred, isn’t a bloody answer! It’s actually quite scary and infuriating 😡

During these RSPB social media trolling sessions, it gets incredibly ironic too , as both the shooting fraternity and animal rights activists, end up liking each other posts. You couldn’t make it up 🤣

So bringing Packham back into the discussion, he is Vice President of the RSPB and where he rightly takes on raptor persecution on one hand, he seems to conveniently disappear off the radar when the RSPB is criticised/trolled by the animal rights mob. I can only think that he doesn’t wish to upset his vegan friends, it just seems very odd to me? I’ve also known him to share tweets of such people, who have both openly criticised the RSPB in the past and spread complete miss truths about them 🙄

I’m also sure people will have noticed that he appears to be sponsored by Mountain Equipment, the outdoor clothing company? Have you seen how many brand spanking new coats and other garments he can get through in a single series of Spring Watch! I’m surprised that the BBC haven’t pulled him up for it.

A few months ago he released a video on Twitter, talking about the personal abuse that he’s received and the effect on his mental health. As much as I sympathised with him, I couldn’t help but notice that he appeared to be wearing another new brightly coloured Mountain Equipment coat for the occasion. Call me a cynic, but he needs to think through what Impression that may present?

So on the whole re Packham, from where I’m sitting, there’s both good sides and questionable sides to him and his behaviour. I also think that eventually, both he and the RSPB, will go their separate ways.

I also don’t believe that he’s currently a threat to angling, as he’s on record saying that he fished as a child and that it helped nurture his passion for wildlife.
 
Last edited:
Ultra vegans are effin nuts and best ignored.
The misses is piscetarin (eats fish but no meat) and is on various veggie/vegan forums, the crap they come out with is unbelievable, feeding their cats and dogs vegan food etc. 🤦‍♂️
 
Rhys Perry said:
Ultra vegans are effin nuts and best ignored.
The misses is piscetarin (eats fish but no meat) and is on various veggie/vegan forums, the crap they come out with is unbelievable, feeding their cats and dogs vegan food etc. 🤦‍♂️
Click to expand...
My missus shared a house with some early-adopter vegans when she was at college back in the early '70s. They tried to feed their cat a vagan diet and it voted with its feet (paws?) - it ran away and they never saw it again!
 
I’ve come to the conclusion I had to rethink my thought process on people, I always (because it’s how it’s painted) of these things being a linear process, left and right with a centre. I now don’t believe this.

I now think of it like a upside down tear drop. The bulk of people have similar views and stay there broadly. They might have an opposite view but broadly they agree on most things. When people start to go down these rabbit holes they can get quite extreme quite quick, this process just speeds up and they (left and right) become closer in attitude with each other than anyone else. Eventually the bottom point you can tell if what they believe anymore is left or right, it’s just extreme and by this point usually dangerous.

Just my thought process and in short what I’m saying is an extremist is an extremist irrespective of how justified they believe they are.
 
That's called the horseshoe effect

Horseshoe_Theory.jpg
 
He's alright!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top