Joint
statement about Otters and Fisheries from Angling Trust, English Nature and the
Environment Agency The
Wildlife Management Group met recently to exchange information and to seek opportunities
to resolve issues regarding otters and freshwater fisheries. The meeting was attended
by experts from the Angling Trust, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the
Angling Trades Association and others. It focussed, in particular, on the problems
involving predation on specimen-sized coarse fish in rivers, although a wide range
of issues were also debated. The continuing issue of fencing for selected stillwaters
was also discussed in depth The
Group identified the areas of common ground, and it has started to explore how
it can help anglers and the Environment Agency develop healthy and balanced river
environments and habitats capable of supporting sustainable, diverse fish populations.
Work is progressing on establishing the current distribution of otters, listing
useful reference documents and producing guidance to fishery managers on creating
sustainable habitats for fish and other forms of wildlife. During
the meeting it became clear that there are several, widely-quoted misconceptions
about otters which need to be addressed and corrected:- - ‘The
otter predation problem has arisen because of the reintroduction programme’.
Otter numbers have increased naturally throughout Britain as a consequence of
successful recolonisation and breeding following a major decline in numbers caused
by pesticides. The reintroduction programme has simply increased the speed of
recovery in parts of England, notably in East Anglia.
- ‘The
reintroduction programme is continuing unchecked’. Between 1983 and 1999
a small number (117) of captive-bred otters were released to the wild by the Otter
Trust. The Vincent Wildlife Trust released rehabilitated animals between 1990
and 1996 (49), over half as part of a Yorkshire release programme, but also a
few into East Anglia, Northumbria and on the Trent. No introductions of captive-bred
otters have occurred since 1999. There have been releases of rehabilitated or
orphaned animals, once they have been nursed back to health, which number no more
than four or five a year. As far as it is practicable, rehabilitated otters are
released back to the areas where they were found.
- ‘Trapping
or culling is needed to control otter numbers’. There is no call or case
for the culling or trapping of otters, which enjoy full protection under international
and national legislation. Otter numbers will be constrained by available breeding
habitat and prey.
- ‘Otters
are eating coarse fish because of the decline in eel populations’. Otters
are opportunist predators which tend to catch and consume fish most readily available
to them. There is no evidence that they ‘prefer’ or select particular
fish species.
It
was agreed that the over-arching strategy should be to create and maintain healthy
aquatic environments where balanced populations of fish and otters can co-exist
in a sustainable manner. The majority of complaints about otter predation on rivers
have arisen where fisheries are suffering from one or more environmental problems
- over-abstraction, pollution, habitat damage, etc. The Group recognised that
there are and would continue to be site-specific problems involving levels of
predation which may reduce the amenity and fishery value. The
Group is exploring areas of possible applied research which might be usefully
undertaken to enhance knowledge of otters in the wild and their impacts on fisheries
with unbalanced fish populations. It would appear that problems are localised
to certain rivers, rather than being universal, and it is important to understand
why this is the case. Part of that process will be to identify fish populations
which are considered to have been adversely affected by otter predation to assess
the nature and severity of the problems and to cross-reference this information
to historic fisheries data sets. The Environment Agency is to examine a programme
of priority fish restocking to restore sustainable fish populations to these fisheries. In
addition, it was agreed that an information pamphlet will be prepared and issued,
setting out the facts about otters and fisheries and providing guidance on how
specific problems can be minimised, especially on stillwater fisheries where the
impacts on economic and social benefits arising have been most significant. This
will complement the recent publication of a joint advisory booklet by the Environment
Agency and the Wildlife Trusts on ‘Otters and Stillwater Fisheries’. These
will be among the matters for discussion when the Wildlife Management Group meets
again, in the next three months.
June 11th2009 |
