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River Nene Decimation

Simon Rolph

Simon Rolph

Senior Member & Supporter
Just seen this on FB EA report into fish stocks around Peterborough and the lower Nene. So much for protecting the Environment. The seals are just eating everything.
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I'm debating whether to join Pdaa now?
I was a member, the season before last, and it's so lovely around there with some quality fish!
So gutted for everyone involved in the club, if these findings are as bad as they read!
 
Are the seals being driven inland due to declining fish stocks around the coast?

It doesn't take a genius to work out that the presence of seals in a river like the Nene would be catastrophic to fish stocks. Surely action could have been taken by the EA at an early stage?
 
Ian Ward said:
I'm debating whether to join Pdaa now?
I was a member, the season before last, and it's so lovely around there with some quality fish!
So gutted for everyone involved in the club, if these findings are as bad as they read!
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The club have reduced the fees to £15 for the next two years as a gesture with the option to make an extra payment to support restocking when they can
The club needs the support from members and £15 a year is a small price to pay
 
Joe Winstanley said:
Are the seals being driven inland due to declining fish stocks around the coast?

It doesn't take a genius to work out that the presence of seals in a river like the Nene would be catastrophic to fish stocks. Surely action could have been taken by the EA at an early stage?
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No joe these are RSPCA tagged seals and it’s all to do with the release site basically releasing them into the nene and hope they turn left
 
It sounds like P&DAA have some very intelligent and committed people dealing with this. I wish them well and hope that their potential legal action against the EA is a runner.
 
It is shocking
Wouldn’t you think the RSPB , the Otter fans and generally anyone genuinely interested in nature would work out seals in an inland river is catastrophic for the whole ecosystem?
I feel your pain- we had a seal in the Swale and it was devastating but things did recover but..it was only one seal for 4 or 5 months but it caused carnage
The amount of effort required to catch one seal was mind -boggling and we suspect it drowned after being darted although the official line was ill health and stress due to being in fresh water?
I got real close to the seal on a number of occasions and it was amazing just how agile they are in the water - no fish is safe but we noticed it was the big pike and barbel that were MIA , chub faired a bit better it seemed.
I haven’t been for years but the salmon pass at the Tees Barrage attracted seals to gorge on the salmon/ sea trout coming into spawn
I don’t know if I will see it in my lifetime but Orcas are spotted in the North Sea not too far away from Teesmouth so here’s hoping they follow the food source and the natural balance is restored and they sit at the head of the food chain
Last time I went ‘ Mackie bashing’ we lost the majority of them to seals, went out of Staithes- steamed out a few miles and first fish was nailed by a seal- skipper said it’s normal- they just follow the boats.
Estimated 120,000 grey and 55,000 harbour seals in the Uk
Each one needing 10-18lbs of fish per day ( 5% of body weight)
Scary.
 
It’s been going on for 3 years on the nene and the EA and angling trust have been useless even worse is natural englands take on it they are saying no need to relocate the seals because there’s plenty more fish upstream
They are a bunch of fishing hating eco terrorists
 
Ray Heath said:
The club have reduced the fees to £15 for the next two years as a gesture with the option to make an extra payment to support restocking when they can
The club needs the support from members and £15 a year is a small price to pay
Click to expand...
Brilliant gesture. Thanks, I will definitely join
 
Terry Harman said:
The angling trust won’t get another penny out of me
The way the PDAA have benn treated by the RSPCA The angling trust and fish legal is nothing short of a disgrace
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Terry I agree the Angling Trust is a complete joke! I would like to know how many members are match men? I was considering doing a few winter league matches until I was told I couldn’t enter unless I was a member of the AT so that’s as far as it went!
 
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