"People who spend a lot of money putting these carp in get a bit aggrieved,"
District councillor Robin Combe  from the EDP 1st November 2006

MMM I wonder why we get a bit aggrieved?

How many more fish are we going to allow the otters to kill? how many more times do I have to see this destruction of our fish stocks? I will tell you NO MORE! It is time to take action it is time to put an end to this once and for all. Take a look at these fish that the otters have killed...

From this...                                                                                   

TO this...

Not just carp...

A 6lb eel 60 years old maybe with its head bitten off by otters

A near 7lb Tench ripped to shreds by otters

For the last 2 years or more I have been involved in this serious issue of Otter Predation and my full report was published by Chris Burt from the Specialist anglers alliance and it is only getting worse. Funding is hard to get and those who should take this issue with greater seriousness just keep putting it on the fence while small clubs like ours have to watch the Otters kill our fish and remain helpless to stop these major predators wiping out valuable fish stocks. Fish stocks that take a long time to establish themselves and that cost a great deal of money to restock with, but hey that's ok, lets just let the otter have his way and let the small clubs suffer. I'm talking about the EA the Government and those who made sure the otters were released and populated our rivers again. WHERE was the consultation with the fishing clubs? WHERE was the support we needed to protect our fish stocks? WHAT guarantees did we have that it would be controlled and monitored carefully so this disaster would not befall angling clubs and fisheries all over great Britain.

Will it is obvious to me that anglers have been let down very badly by those who have the power to come to our aid. I am sure that if the cray fish plague effected otters and started to kill them off there would be a major outcry and we would see vast sums of money to protect them but apparently the death of a 30lb carp that has lived in our lake for 25 years can die and it doesn't matter there are plenty more carp plenty more Tench plenty more eels Well guess what...

 THERE ARE NOT PLENTY MORE FOR US BECAUSE WE CANT AFFORD TO REPLACE THEM!! a 30lb carp will cost you a grand to replace we don't have that kind of money and for us its a major disaster!

It makes me sick to my stomach to have to bury a big carp half eaten by an otter its like some one letting loose a hoard of locusts on your crops destroying your lively hood and then saying to you, sorry but there protected you can stop them. This does not help otters at all it turns them into enemies and they become hated vermin by those who have to endure the full scale slaughter of there fish stocks. I like otters I really do there very clever animals and you cant blame the otter the blame is on those who released them and did not do so with out counting the cost of putting back a major predator into an environment that has seen massive changes. They are killed on the roads that were not there before, they are shot by angry frustrated fishery owners and trapped in carelessly laid traps meant for other predators, because of all this the once cute and cuddly tarka the otter image has become one of an animal intensely disliked by those that have no power or help to stop them doing what they do best.

The only answer is to put up a fence an expensive fence we have applied for a grant from the EA we are waiting to find out if we will be successful but in the mean time we must take matters into our own hands and install a fence of our own, and we will not give up on this issue so I urge all club members reading this to come to the club pit and get involved with us to do what we can to put an end to this or like I said you can do nothing and watch more fish die its up to you. Call me! Get involved! Make a difference! Do it now!  Or Mr Otter will just carry on eating your fish.

Local news paper reports Highlighting the issues still nothing gets done.

From the EA concerning this issue.

A contribution toward the provision of otter fencing in order to

protect a fishery will now be considered as a suitable project but this

would have to be at a fishery with an open remit with day tickets,

perhaps provision for disabled anglers or with a record of promoting

angling through open days etc. That said, otter fencing is likely to be

fairly low priority when placed against other bids throughout the

region.

This does not mean that it would not be worth applying but success

More from the EDP. 5th December 2007

Now a unique project has been launched, with the aim of encouraging otters back to the fens to live and breed.
The Middle Level Commissioners have received a £52,000 funding boost from the Sita Trust for their project which aims to make the area a regular breeding ground for otters Additional support and funding has been offered by Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biodiversity Partnership - a total of £61,000 has been donated.
Further surveys will be carried out and there will also be work by the Environment Agency to stop the use of illegal nets and traps along the rivers which can drown otters.
 

61,000 to protect Otters! As a small struggling angling club that has been here for 62 years with all members paying there fishing licences, What do we get to protect our fish stocks may I ask! Its a good question and it deserves an answer don't you think? send your comments on the guest book or email mark@bctac.co.uk we want to hear from you.