Elsewhere in
Britain, anglers are calling for a
clampdown on otters after Big Lady - one of Britain’s biggest and best-known
freshwater fish – is killed. The fish, weighing over 20lbs, was the largest
barbel living in UK waters. Barbels are group of small carp-like
freshwater fish, almost all of the genus Barbus. They are usually found in gravel
and rocky-bottomed slow-flowing waters with high dissolved oxygen content. A
typical adult barbel will range from 25 to 100 cm in length and weigh anywhere
between 200 g and 10 kg. The name barbel derived from the Latin barba, meaning
beard, a reference to the two pairs of barbs — a longer pair pointing forwards
and slightly down positioned — on the side of the mouth.
Otter is a common name for
a carnivorous mammal in subfamily Lutrinae.
Otter species are all semiaquatic
or aquatic, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. I had posted
earlier on Southern Bangladeshi fishermen utilising them for fishing. While the aid of ‘otter board’ is
understandable, there is the Bangladeshi
tradition involving harnessing mammals up like reindeer as they chase fish into
nets. Fishermen in Narail, 130 miles
from capital Dhaka, use the otters to lure fish into their nets though in 25
years the number of families otter fishing has dropped from 500 to 150. The otters spot fish within the plants and
chase them towards the nets; The otters do not catch the fish themselves,
instead they chase them towards the fishing net placed next to the boat. …….. this
rare technique has been handed down for
centuries in Bangladesh.
In Britain, people are
unhappy – as anglers are calling for a clampdown on otters after they killed
Britain's biggest and best-known freshwater fish. The fish, nicknamed Big Lady,
was seen being dragged from the River Ivel in Bedfordshire by a marauding
otter, which tore out its throat and partially ate it. The record specimen
weighed more than 20lbs and was believed to be the largest living barbel fish
in UK waters.
Big Lady, Britain's
largest barbel fish being held by angler Dave Currell in the photo above. The
fish has now been killed by an otter, who tore out its throat and partially ate
it. MailOnline reports that six other large coarse fish have also fallen
victim to the otters, which are carnivourous and ferocious hunters, in the same
stretch of river in the past three months.
Otters were only
re-introduced back on to Britsh waterways in the 1980s after they were on the
brink of extinction. But as they have no natural predator, they are said to be
booming in numbers and are picking off expensive, cumbersome fish like carp and
barbel, putting fisheries and businesses in jeopardy. Now, the secretary of the Ivel Protection Agency,
is calling for fishery bailiffs to be allowed to humanely trap offending otters
so they can be moved away from waters stocked with expensive fish.
'Barbel are the most
revered sporting fish. They are known as the Prince of the River and are sleek
and have a reputation for being fighting machine. To the anglers, barbells are
more loved and they say that the place for otters is in countryside but away
from fishes, as several fisheries have reportedly gone out of business in
recent years due to fish stocks decimated by otter predation. In 2013, fishery owner Brian Dodson
unsuccessfully tried to sue the Environment Agency after he lost £250,000 worth
of fish to the furry mammals after an otter haven was set up nearby.
Martin Salter, the
campaigns officer for the Angling Trust, said the British waterways were now
out-of-balance due to the booming population of otters. He explained: 'Otter
predation is a serious issue, especially in small rivers where there are large
but vulnerable fish like barbel. 'The natural balance is out of kilter in some
areas and the situation hasn’t been helped by ill-advised otter releases by
well meaning but naive people.' However, a spokeman for the Environment Agency
defended otters, saying they help maintain a healthy eco-system.
One solution often leads
to another problem. Large specimen fish tend to dominate rivers, which is not a
healthy state for a river. Waters need diversity not just big ones alone. As much as anglers love to fish for large
barbel, and even given them names, sooner or later they will die from disease,
in a flood event or be eaten by an otter or other predator. Otters are one of the most protected animals
in Europe. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is an offense to kill one
or interfere with their habitat and is punishable by a £5,000 fine or six
months in prison.
So, should it be Otters or
Barbel ? – can a balance be struck !!
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
30th July 2o15
