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30/10/06
OTTER PREDATION - A WAY FORWARD?

We are now delighted to announce we have financial backing from the EA help stop otter predation of still-water fish by funding fencing for fisheries protection. Up till now we have not been able to get any support for this, DEFRA were the only route we had to take for cash and they had turned down all our approaches for support over the last five years. Stocks of specimen fish are at times being decimated by the returning otter population, but £250,000 a year to protect the interests of 2 million anglers is apparently impossible to find!

Specimen carp are particularly vulnerable but pike, big eels and tench, are all vulnerable. Some fisheries have been ruined by such predation, and there is enormous frustration from the anglers who fish such waters that they can do nothing to stop this. Otters are fully protected by law of course, you cannot move them, disturb them or harm them in any way whatsoever.

We fully support the return in numbers of the otter to the UK. But, you cannot reintroduce a top flight predator into the managed environment that is Britain today, without considering the consequences. SAA have worked closely with, and have the full support of English Nature, the Environment Agency, Wildlife Trusts, and the Otter BAPS Group in trying to resolve this problem..

The only solution is to protect key fisheries with otter proof fencing, (which can only be used on still-waters, I am sorry that we have no solution for rivers). The EA funded a SAA study to establish the most cost effective fencing to keep otters out of specimen still-water fisheries, and this can be viewed on the SAA website www.saauk,org, and EA websites. Fencing isn't cheap however, even a 5 acre water would cost in the region of £5,000, and a 20 acre water could need £12-15,000!

We have again approached EA Fisheries with a plea for help, and they have agreed that the funding issue must be addressed. Adrian Taylor of the EA has advised that;

"There is no reason why otter fencing schemes should not be considered for our project bid funding. However, we must remember that the project funding comes directly from rod licence income, and therefore we need to ensure that the maximum number of anglers benefit from projects that we fund. Therefore bids are more likely to be successful if they relate to waters that are easily available - i.e. open membership, and if they are collaborative, so that the Agency is part funding. We would also expect the owner of the water to be making a contribution to the protection of their own assets to reflect the benefit that will come with this work'

The route for this funding is through our Area teams, and Fisheries Development Managers, who will also be able to provide more general advice, and may also be able to assist in identifying other sources for collaborative funding. I suggest that if you can identify one or two potential schemes, we can then point you in the direction of the relevant local team to consider."

So the door is now open for a large number of waters to protect their fisheries from the ravages of otter predation. We must also look beyond this to ensure all specimen fisheries at risk are able to obtain financial support, and we look to the EA to include a submission for much, much more funding, to cover fence costs for a wide range of waters. Without this many more large fish will be killed and we have no way of preventing it.

Those waters now suffering fish kills from otters must face the reality of an ongoing problem and either install fencing or face long-term fish kills. Best of luck, and if we can help, do let me know via email on otters@saauk.org.

Chris Burt, SAA.