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River Nene Decimation

This is all very disappointing. It strikes me that the local club needs everyone's support in this difficult time. I think the problem with wildlife groups is they just have a different take on fish. They are generally just seen as a commodity to provide a food source for other animals. How this can be changed I really have no idea. They have been told about the value of large fish like Barbel and Pike and what they mean to anglers but they just refuse to alter their stance. They are, I'm sorry to say, often very tunnel visioned. They do good conservation work but need to see the bigger picture. I will never join the RSPB though I belong to many wildlife and conservation groups. I have personal reasons for this owing to the total mess they have made of my local fishery/ bird reserve.
 
Andrew Jackson said:
This is all very disappointing. It strikes me that the local club needs everyone's support in this difficult time. I think the problem with wildlife groups is they just have a different take on fish. They are generally just seen as a commodity to provide a food source for other animals. How this can be changed I really have no idea. They have been told about the value of large fish like Barbel and Pike and what they mean to anglers but they just refuse to alter their stance. They are, I'm sorry to say, often very tunnel visioned. They do good conservation work but need to see the bigger picture. I will never join the RSPB though I belong to many wildlife and conservation groups. I have personal reasons for this owing to the total mess they have made of my local fishery/ bird reserve.
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The RSPB gets a lot bad press in many areas, much of it from shooting groups and pigeon fanciers, with their own anti RSPB agendas.

Personally I feel that UK wildlife would be in a much worse state without their efforts. Some bird species would even be lost as UK breeding species without them.
 
Neil Blood said:
The RSPB gets a lot bad press in many areas, much of it from shooting groups and pigeon fanciers, with their own anti RSPB agendas.

Personally I feel that UK wildlife would be in a much worse state without their efforts. Some bird species would even be lost as UK breeding species without them.
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I don't disagree with you Neil. I sign many of their petitions, complete their garden bird surveys. For sure they do excellent work. I tried to explain my personal reasons for not being a member. I do though support, the wildlife trusts, National Trust, Butterfly conservation, WWF. They don't make many friends around here though within the Angling Community which is a great shame.
 
Andrew Jackson said:
I don't disagree with you Neil. I sign many of their petitions, complete their garden bird surveys. For sure they do excellent work. I tried to explain my personal reasons for not being a member. I do though support, the wildlife trusts, National Trust, Butterfly conservation, WWF. They don't make many friends around here though within the Angling Community which is a great shame.
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I’m the opposite Andrew, I refuse to join the Wildlife Trusts as their predator control methods (both lethal and non-lethal) are in many cases non-existent.

I get really frustrated when they post about Mink and Water Voles on social media. They refuse to openly admit that they trap Mink and at best refer to “Mink Monitoring”! 🙄 Rather than educate on the matter, they say nowt and do little, for fear of upsetting people!

Recently I’ve read a few posts about Brockholes Wetlands near Preston, due to lack of predator control, it fledges virtually nowt. Yet they are happy to charge you for parking, sell you an expensive cup of coffee and tell you how wonderful the place is, when it appears to be a complete failure on the breeding bird front.
 
Neil Blood said:
I’m the opposite Andrew, I refuse to join the Wildlife Trusts as their predator control methods (both lethal and non-lethal) are in many cases non-existent.

I get really frustrated when they post about Mink and Water Voles on social media. They refuse to openly admit that they trap Mink and at best refer to “Mink Monitoring”! 🙄 Rather than educate on the matter, they say nowt and do little, for fear of upsetting people!

Recently I’ve read a few posts about Brockholes Wetlands near Preston, due to lack of predator control, it fledges virtually nowt. Yet they are happy to charge you for parking, sell you an expensive cup of coffee and tell you how wonderful the place is, when it appears to be a complete failure on the breeding bird front.
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I only rejoined the wildlife trust comparatively recently. I resigned over the whole predator issue and their failure to acknowledge there was an imbalance affecting our rivers. I just got fed up with them about it but recently decided to give them another chance. Like you say, they do much good conservation work these organisations. None of them though appreciate the ways of anglers. I think they would get more support from us anglers if they did.
 
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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Andrew Jackson said:
I don't disagree with you Neil. I sign many of their petitions, complete their garden bird surveys. For sure they do excellent work. I tried to explain my personal reasons for not being a member. I do though support, the wildlife trusts, National Trust, Butterfly conservation, WWF. They don't make many friends around here though within the Angling Community which is a great shame.
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I used to enter into friendly dialogue with these Wildlife Trusts. Unfortunately, it's obvious from their publicity material, that they have absolutely no interest at all in fish. When I've asked them why their material doesn't include fish of any sort I've just been met with a blank stare. They seem to be another bird conservation group, similar in many ways, to the RSPB. Their accounts when I last looked (years ago now) indicated a not insignificant sum of money received from bequests and tax payers money.
 
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Very sad news indeed for PDAA. Unfortunately, I experienced the same 'seal invasion' on the River Hull 16 years ago. It finished the river for me, as a viable, worthwhile fishery. The pike were the first to be 'whacked'. Then the barbel; which at the time, were getting to a 'respectable' size. I understand that it has started to recover, but I doubt ever to its previous potential.

I remember the EA at the time talking the talk. But actually achieving very little.

There were numbers of seals and they can easily navigate far upstream. A tidal barrier merely hinders their progress upstream. It doesn't stop them. I understand that after a time in freshwater seals develop an eye fluke. How many seal sanctuaries are there on the east coast?
 
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Ian Ward said:
Brilliant gesture. Thanks, I will definitely join
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Donation
Well I don’t live anywhere near there, but I thought P & D AA could do with some support so I donated on their website. It’s not just about the money, which was not a lot, but also about letting them know other anglers care about their situation.

If you want to do the same it’s a pain to find there membership page. It’s under buy tickets, I asked for a membership but then on the next page you could add a donation and remove the membership. I did not want a membership I will never go there.
 
Ralph Harris said:
Donation
Well I don’t live anywhere near there, but I thought P & D AA could do with some support so I donated on their website. It’s not just about the money, which was not a lot, but also about letting them know other anglers care about their situation.

If you want to do the same it’s a pain to find there membership page. It’s under buy tickets, I asked for a membership but then on the next page you could add a donation and remove the membership. I did not want a membership I will never go there.
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I was going to suggest BFW members support by joining but like you I wouldn’t fish there, especially now l, but I WILL donate to support them . Who’s with Ralph and I ?
 
Well, ironically, they call Thames back to life when the seal population is increasing in recent years. But soon people will find it dead again.

I suppose RSPB is using the same argument to release the seal in nene.
 
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