More chance of being mugged by a mouse

IN RESPONSE to Dennis Willis’s letter (October 29 issue), there is a huge need for a balance to be addressed. Certainly, some of his letter has truths but overall it demonstrates a huge misunderstanding of both the need for mammal predators and the general truths/myths behind the species.

The most concerning part of the letter is when he asks: “Do we have to wait for an attack on a small child in a back garden before the realisation of what these apex predators may do becomes clear?”

This is scaremongering at its worst and the answer is yes, you will have to wait as you have more chance of being attacked by a mouse than you do of seeing a child attacked by an otter.

Regarding fences, if there is stock inside it needs protecting, just as you do when you go out as I am sure that you do not leave your doors unlocked.

Is it natural to have fences in place? No, but there are many fisheries that are fenced and they are some of the richest habitats for otters, foxes, kingfishers, bitterns etc, so fences are clearly not restrictive or damaging to those habitats.

education and understanding, and working with those organisations that will help is the way forward. To dispel any myths that otters will be culled is important as this will not happen and will always be opposed by the UK Wild Otter Trust. There is a legal and humane option for those fisheries suffering from predation provided they are fenced in with our humane trapping project which has been extremely useful in the angling world with well over 2,000 calls for help and six otters humanely caught and released without further breaches.

Otters are an important part of our natural ecosystem and without these everything would suffer, including angling.

If disgruntled anglers put as much effort into contributing something useful such as concentrating on habitat restoration, gravel-bed destruction, water pollutants, removal of spawning beds, then the whole sport v predator issue would balance out eventually.

Otters are here to stay, and angling will always be here as well. And before anyone asks, I am a lifelong angler who grew up with homemade stick floats and otters on the river.

Dave Webb, founder, UK Wild Otter Trust