Herons, Cormorants and Otters.

[Dubbed Squirrel]

Last season on the river, I noticed a significant increase in these predators,especially cormorants. A few stillwaters have also had problems with them, I Just wondered how widespread it is.Check out this photo,especially the far bank.This was taken at the local canal.

Peter

[gerryf4]

notice the mink or otter across the canal with a fish
he/she must have had a good days fishing lol

[flyman]

Hi D ubbed squirrel,
Our club water which is about 14 acres as had up to 26 cormorants on it
the last few months.
Stocking tomorrow so they will be there for lunch, the trout they cant swallow
they just keep on trying till they end up dying any how.
As for otters its great to see them coming back to our rivers here in the valley,s
of S.E.Wales.
Mink are every where.

[GAZJB]

I have'nt seen any cormorant in lancashire for ages but i do see otters on the rivers. There are greebs on one of the waters i fish, don't know whether they cause a prob to fish numbers. Only porchers to be worried about .

[Greenheart]

I believe Grebes are territorial, so you don't normally get too high a density. Also They just seem to take the 2"-3" fish, where as Cormorants & Otters will have a go at much larger fish. I've read that Cormorants will also consume their own weight in fish each day. Not sure if this is true, but I've witnessed them on the canal at Feeder road in Bristol trying to swallow a large Bream. They then give up & leave a badly wounded or dead fish. I really think it's time to consider culling Cormorants. If we had wild Wolves in this country causing devistation by attacking and eating farmers valuable sheep & cattle, there would be an outcry. But for some reason this Government thinks its OK to let Cormorants & Otters kill & maim valuable fish stocks....

[Dubbed Squirrel]

I caught a few fish last year, that had scale damage. We have a few herons too, so it would be hard to say who the culprit was. Peter