Victor Vectis Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 CaRT put out a notice yesterday saying contractors will be erecting a fence around Napton reservoir to “protect small wildlife from otters” Otters? At Napton?? Anyone seen any??? (And I’m looking across said reservoir as I type this) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chop! Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 We have had exactly the same thing here on the Nene, Colditz style wire fencing stretching along the river bank and around the fishing lakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 30 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said: CaRT put out a notice yesterday saying contractors will be erecting a fence around Napton reservoir to “protect small wildlife from otters” Otters? At Napton?? Anyone seen any??? (And I’m looking across said reservoir as I type this) This is nuts. Are otters not 'small wildlife' themselves? There are otter spraints all over the southern system, suggesting otters are widespread. Lets hope CRT have no idea about this or we'll be getting fences EVERYWHERE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: There are otter spraints all over the southern system, suggesting otters are widespread. Lets hope CRT have no idea about this or we'll be getting fences EVERYWHERE. Have CaRT got any idea about anything? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: This is nuts. Are otters not 'small wildlife' themselves? . It surprised me too. I had thought for years that otters were the Good Guys, that their numbers had declined and that we should help protect them, rather than protecting other species against them. Now it seems that otters are rotters. I suppose if you were a mouse or vole an otter would look really quite large. Edited June 22, 2018 by Athy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree monkey Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 This is either stupidity of the highest order or there is a specific protected species that needs protection whilst breeding and the fence is temporary 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlt Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 41 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said: CaRT put out a notice yesterday saying contractors will be erecting a fence around Napton reservoir to “protect small wildlife from otters” If there are Otters there should we not be encouraging them so that they displace the invasive Mink? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 2 minutes ago, NickF said: Have CaRT got any idea about anything? Water voles seem to attract most of their attention, probably because there are so many of them! Greater crested newts however seem to have passed them by. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlt Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 1 minute ago, tree monkey said: ...there is a specific protected species that needs protection... Like...Otters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree monkey Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 Just now, carlt said: Like...Otters? Who knows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 3 minutes ago, tree monkey said: This is either stupidity of the highest order or there is a specific protected species that needs protection whilst breeding and the fence is temporary Yes we'll probably find it is something like signal crayfish they are trying to protect. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, carlt said: If there are Otters there should we not be encouraging them so that they displace the invasive Mink? I was thinking along similar lines; just as one can train terriers to catch rats and so forth, can we train a Special Otter Service (Mink Platoon) to chase the so-and-so's away? Edited June 22, 2018 by Athy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree monkey Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 2 minutes ago, Athy said: I was thinking along similar lines; just as one can train terriers to catch rats and so forth, can we train a Special Otter Service (Mink Platoon) to chase the so-and-so's away? They do already, otters move into an area and kick the mink out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlt Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 Now that they are fair game I can finally get some use out of my favourite recipe book: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 (edited) Is there by any chance commercial fishing at Napton Reservoir? Or should I say stocked fishing? Edited June 22, 2018 by Tumshie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 Its probably the income from fishing, most owners of fishing lakes wold like to exclude all Otters and cormorant from their lakes as they eat their expensive fish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 8 minutes ago, carlt said: If there are Otters there should we not be encouraging them so that they displace the invasive Mink? This is a tricky one. On balance I think them minks are fluffier, more photgenic and friendlier-looking than otters, so should be protected first. Expert at wildlife, moi. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlt Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 Just now, Tumshie said: Is there by any chance commercial fishing at Napton Reservoir? I don't know but I am about to start selling tickets for the first Otter shoot of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 What is a commercial fish, anyway? I can't find it in my Observers' Book of Fishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: friendlier-looking than otters, ??? Eh - no! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlt Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 Just now, Tumshie said: ??? Eh - no! They make warmer hats. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said: What is a commercial fish, anyway? It stops swimming every ten minutes and has an advertising break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: What is a commercial fish, anyway? I can't find it in my Observers' Book of Fishes. If you look really close you can see the Queen's head on their scales. Edited June 22, 2018 by Tumshie grummmer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxmike Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 22 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: What is a commercial fish, anyway? I can't find it in my Observers' Book of Fishes. They're the ones behind the stall selling the prawns. I must say this debate is getting otter by the minute! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted June 22, 2018 Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 Obviously time to resurrect the New Forest otter hounds - yes there was such a thing. Disbanded years ago when they eliminated the last pesky otter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now