Fishery owners
urged to join new group protecting their waters
FISHERY managers nationwide are rallying to raise awareness of the continued threat of otters to their livelihoods – and it’s all thanks to the introduction of a new data-collecting initiative.
The Fish Protection Bureau has been created by a team of like-minded anglers, fishery owners and fish farmers whose businesses have suffered over the last 10 years due to otter predation.
One of them is renowned fish farmer Mark Simmonds, who feels that fishery owners deserve the right to be able to defend their stocks, but agrees that a huge portfolio of evidence must first be collected to prove how damaging the mammals can be.
Mark told Angling Times: “The purpose of the Bureau is to provide a point of contact for those who have been impacted by otters over the last decade.
“It doesn’t matter if you run a carp water, a river venue or a multi-lake complex – we want to know just how you have been affected by otters.
“We want to know how many fish you have lost and how many thousands of pounds you have paid to ensure they’re are kept out of your fishery.
“We know otters have affected thousands of people and if each could submit information then the evidence will be overwhelming – we will eventually have something substantial to present at Government level.
“Ten years ago I nearly went bust after losing over £250,000 worth of stock. I survived, but others haven’t been so lucky.
“I want to reiterate we are not trying to create a nationwide cull of otters here – we simply want to have the same rights as farmers to protect our livelihoods.”
The news of the Bureau’s creation has already made waves