Do we really care ?

[Colin Gordon]

I care!!

TBH most anglers care, only not enough to actually do anything.
This is most probably the reason anglers love to blame otters for the demise of many southern rivers.....
"All the fish have been ottered, that's why they've all gone"!
I dread to think the numbers of times that has been told to me.

Why, easy say or believe otters are the sole or main reason takes away guilt for just not doing anything.
As we know otter culls just ain't going to happen!

So easy option blame a contributing factor for everything then the angler can stand back and say..... Otters, what can we do. The law is all one sided towards them.

Cynical.... Very.
Pesermistic... Undoubtedly.
Realistic.... Undeniable, though obviously many will just to remove their guilt!!!!

 

[Peter Littleworth]

TBH most anglers care, only not enough to actually do anything.
This is most probably the reason anglers love to blame otters for the demise of many southern rivers.....
"All the fish have been ottered, that's why they've all gone"!
I dread to think the numbers of times that has been told to me.


Colin, you forgot to mention the other imaginary, apex predator, our EE invaders, the actions of both of these have no bearing on the obvious demise in larger fish in many venues??????????
pter

 

[John Pain]

TBH most anglers care, only not enough to actually do anything.
This is most probably the reason anglers love to blame otters for the demise of many southern rivers.....
"All the fish have been ottered, that's why they've all gone"!
I dread to think the numbers of times that has been told to me.

Why, easy say or believe otters are the sole or main reason takes away guilt for just not doing anything.
As we know otter culls just ain't going to happen!

So easy option blame a contributing factor for everything then the angler can stand back and say..... Otters, what can we do. The law is all one sided towards them.

Cynical.... Very.
Pesermistic... Undoubtedly.
Realistic.... Undeniable, though obviously many will just to remove their guilt!!!!

To be totally honest, Otters are just the icing on the cake to the demise of our rivers. The rivers had enough problems before the introduction of Otters, they have just made matters worse.

Just fed up with people who have never seen an Otter or the countryside supporting there re-introduction.

 

[Colin Gordon]

TBH John your post says the same as I believe.

Icing on the cake, tip of a large iceberg. Choice of proverbs is endless.

Facts remain the same....
Otters are a added burden for our over stretched / pressured rivers to cope with, one that could have been easily avoided
BUT
One that has not been avoided!

A burden that angling needs to work with and not gripe about. Rather use it for our sports long term survival.

How? Well otters eat fish so rivers need stock, Sustainable stocks for otters to thrive.
TBH even the most ardent environmentalist when push comes to shove really couldn't careless whether or not river have decent stocks of fish for us to catch.
If barbel are rapidly becoming a species of fish ever nearing extinction in their indigenous rivers.

What angling needs is high profile big names backing our cause with reasoned arguements and 'honest' non biased appraisals of what is happening.
The likes of sir David Attenborough, David Bellamy or Terry Nutkins.
These are the sorts of people that the none angling public trust and equally importantly KNOW!
This is the direction I believe we should be going down and not relying on angling's celebs and big names. Ask the average man in the street too name a famous angler, the odd one might name John Wilson and the very occaisional one may say Matt Hayes but just as many will say Rex Hunt.
Who's imagery of conservation consists of him kissing the poor bloody fish he has just caught and then promptly lobbing it back in the water with so little grace it defies words, even has the audasity to then say how conservation minded angling has become.

This is the image we need to rid our selves of and quick smart!

(anyone know Davids Attenborough or Bellamy's mobile number if so PM me and I'll happily give them a call)

Surely this is what I paid my £20 to the AT for but alas I've not seen any evidence of them doing F*** ALL!
Sorry, plead povety they're good at that!!

 

[Lee Fletcher]

Dear Pete,

Here is a short extract from the UK Biodiversity Action Plan website concerning Burbot (Lota lota);

"Despite debate over the last two decades, there is no consensus on the reasons for the extinction of the burbot in England. Certainly, all the rivers from which the species was previously recorded still contain fish. One of the objectives of this action plan is to seek a consensus view on the most likely causes, using evidence from England and continental Europe."

I have read various expert opinions as to why Burbot became extinct in the UK but as the above states there does appear to be no expert consensus on the subject. One thing is certain in that they are not in the UK, or so it appears.

Another interesting website to visit is BARS which is the Biodiversity Action Plan Reporting System that gives more up to date on going information regarding the BAP's.

Regards,

Lee.