Otters

[GardenKit]

I saw one or two in the local river last year but only from a distance of about 60yds (from the bedroom window infact!) but have walked the river banks with my camera since but never found them.

 

Have you got any tips where to look and at what time of day, Matt?

[Matthew Arnold]

I saw one or two in the local river last year but only from a distance of about 60yds (from the bedroom window infact!) but have walked the river banks with my camera since but never found them.

 

Have you got any tips where to look and at what time of day, Matt?

 

Usually early morning or late evening is the best time to find them but the pics ive been getting are from 9.30am to 2pm. Ours ones have got used to people and dogs and arent scared of coming up close.

[woodyguy]

Now I'm really jealous. Would love to have Otters locally but none so far. Beautiful creatures.

[Woodworks]

Great Pictures

 

Haven't seen an otter in England for 20 years but get to see them when we go to Scotland.

[Stephen Blair]

I would love to see Otters, well done.

[Nick Watkins]

I'm divided on this one. Whilst I love the fact the Otters are being introduced I can't help think it will be only a decade or so before they are gone again.

 

Otters are massive predators, right now they are surviving on artificial fish stocks, these stocks having been paid for and in most cases cherished by fishing clubs. With the (re) introduction of Otters some of these clubs are getting devastated, Carp who's history can be traced back 40+ years getting wiped out systematically, Barbel, Tench, Bream etc likewise.

 

Something therefore has to break, I know many fishing clubs who are either not willing to re-stock their waters or who are putting up expensive Otter proof fencing. Where does all this leave the Otter? Locked out of lakes and ponds or only gaining access to one's with little to no stock it leaves them with the rivers.

 

The rivers although much improved are getting plundered by our Eastern European friends (something the EA are doing nothing about) and Cormorants (both will clearly takes from lakes as well) so either the EA are going to compensate for this by a massive stocking programme or our rivers will slowly dwindle. Guess what they are not doing!

 

Sometimes stuff dies out for a reason, it's not rocket science to see that our fresh water fish supplies are a limited resource already under pressure. I hope the EA pull their finger out of their ass on this but that seems highly unlikely and as a consequence they will be scratching theirs heads in years to come and wondering why it all went wrong.

 

Apologies for throwing water on the fireworks but the devastation is wide spread and is being hushed by those too busy slapping themselves on the back about the (re) introduction.

 

The other side of the story The Predation Action Group : Safeguarding Fisheries From Predation

[Graham]

I think there were only thirty authorised releases of otters 10 years ago. Many more have been reared and released by misguided 'nature lovers' in the intervening years.

 

The fact is that their main food source (eels) is in serious decline in the UK and Europe. Where is the common sense in releasing a predator into the wild when there are insufficient food stocks to support it?

 

They turn to less favoured prey to survive many of which are expensive fish stocks by angling clubs. They are also causing damage to breeding bird stocks reserves in East Anglia.

 

I am all in favour of seeing otters thrive but should we not have our rivers in good health and capable of supporting them before releasing an apex predator into the wild.

[clima]

I would love to see Otters, well done.

 

Clyde Muirshiel region and Greeto tributaries.......near you.

 

Hardly a place in Scotland that doesnt have otters but they seem to co exist with people and other wildlife up here whereas further south ....parts of England...they are increasingly in conflict with the interests of people and their activities.Mainly we could sympathise with angling clubs and commercial fisheries but in many cases, those sites have an artificial stocking level in any case.If the otters had never been removed from the eco chain then our waterways would have had to develop in a different way to how we know them.

Mink are far more serious a problem wherever they may be found.

[Stephen Blair]

I walk the Gretto burns almost daily, never seen any signs.

I have seen 2 rd kills locally which was terrible.

I usually walk with 3 dogs so it's no suprise really !!

 

 

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[Eddy_t]

We have otters on my friends reserve, never seen them though, only once saw one in Stafford town centre, more often than not they're caught on the CCTV scuttling around the town

 

 

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