I EXPOSED THE UK OTTER PROBLEM & BUILT A FENCE TO PROTECT MY FISH

[@dazwatson9080]

I first saw an Otter take out a 20lb+Pike on the Norfolk Broads about 20 years ago. Since then I've seen them spread throughout the entire local river network. We'd spent years improving habitat, restocking and working closely with the EA on pollution and flood risk and NNIS. I even posted videos of me fishing the same peg 4 years on the trot on the opening day of the season. It was clear over time there was something wrong, it seemed as it all the bigger fish had vanished? I still caught loads of little Chub but not one fish over 8oz then came the sightings of flocks of up to 10 Goosanders patrolling the river closely followed by increasing number of Cormorants and finally the Otters began to show themselves literally everywhere. I even went to do some underwater filming in the narrowest part of the river only to be greeted by 2 Otters. After years of cutting the footpaths and keeping the banks open, organising the matches and dealing with any matters in hand it was obviously pointless. 40 years I fished that river and I'll never forget the damage that all these protected species caused to the fishery. I built my own pond in 2018 and after 4 years they found it leaving me with a small number of scarred fish, some without tails and almost all covered in bite marks. The Otters without natural predators have been left to breed unhindered, the effects of this will be devastating as they are even raiding ponds miles from any natural water course.

[@adamroots3429]

Very ,very true...I have my own fishery 39 years.. No fence,no fish,no.future,all my carp are regeneration survivors ,with dorsal and tails bitten clean off..

[@johnkay7354]

ive had a passion for angling for more than 60 years, and if i was lucky enough to see an otter in the wild on a trip, it would be the cherry on the cake, i love em

[@markhepworth]

Exactly,carp fisherman seem to think the countryside is there solely for them,a childish,chavy and arrogant little point of view. I’m sick of hearing their whining,they reflect badly on all actual anglers.

[@ocher8931]

I love them too. You should build a fence to protect the fish if you want. It’s called wildlife for a reason 😂

[@user-vs4rp1qc6q]

​@@markhepworthyou've obviously got issues. How many carp anglers do you actually come across that are NOT on a carp lake? Not many, so your points what wetwipe??

[@rogerparker9228]

​@markhepworth clueless, most carper actually respect the countryside. U do realise it's fishery owners not fisherman in this video don't u???? It's their livelihood and thousands of pounds of fish eaten. So get ur head out ur backside and think before opening you mouth

[@Edge-of-Reason]

Another good video. Otters are a problem but so is the drive from anglers to create artificial environments (often from natural waters) and the subsequent decline of biodiversity. It's a tricky one when add money into that equation. Good luck with your project, looks like it's going to be massively popular.

[@vinces8030]

i used to fish a place called Malston Mill for a week every year with my dad. was superb fishing, average carp range was 12-20 lb and you'd typically catch around 8-12 a day! it had a nice stream running through with wild brook trout which were good sport. we fished it for 6 years straight. one morning we went out and seen a carp on the bank about 15lb with a hole chewed out of it. the owner said he knew of at least one otter and it was the cluprit. we didnt fish it for about 5 years and for nostalgia we booked a week there. in a whole WEEK we had 5 carp between us! the owner said the otters were common now coming up through the stream and despite the electric fence they always managed to get in. he said one morning at dawn he saw 4 of them swimming in the lake. they had decimated that lake within a few years, and his fishery has never been the same since.

[@nickrider5220]

The river Stour and Avon have plenty of otters. I've had to barricade my garden to stop them returning to my koi pond, one killed 17 of my pet fish when I was on holiday 1 year ago. 2 years before that my old pond at my parents, 12 miles from any viable otter waters, was hit by otters - the pond had been there over 30 years and is on the chalk uplands ! There is otter saturation on some waters, there's no land predators to keep the population stable, no wolves, bears or lynx that used to live here, so all waters need to be fenced off now. All of the fishing lakes around here have had to put up otter fencing, costing many 1000s of £. Yes it's good there are otters, but no one told people that their pets would be at risk, some of my fish are 30 and 40 years old - it feels terrible to find one of your dear old friends dead. People are very sentimental about otters, but if they were killing your cats and dogs that sentimentally would quickly disappear.

[@johnaskins499]

I'm definitely having a pair of the 10ft 3.5lb kaizen green rods. Well done guys. For me, a person on disability, it makes the kaizen range more accessible.

[@user-kf3nd9qd9g]

Introducing otters to an environment that is already under pressure and been neglected means our rivers and lakes can’t sustain their appetite so they look elsewhere and our fisheries etc are prime targets, I’ve seen the damage done by them on my local nature reserve which already had the bird life battered by mink

[@julien1]

And whay is there a problem ultimately? Humans killed the Otters natural predators. Go figure...! There is always TWO similarities at the base of every global problem - HUMAN GREED.

[@iansmith788]

I used to fish on the River Ouse for many years, a survey by the environment agency about 25 years ago found large healthy fish stocks and graded the river Good there were no otters detected at that time but the otter trust started making habitat suitable for otters which had been released in some areas. Not long after that many people who spent time on the river started to see an occasional otter and found large dead fish carcasses on the banks, within a few years otters were seen with cubs along the river, the next EA survey found hardly any fish and the river was graded poor. The otter population had shrunk from 1950-70 mainly due to pollution and lack of food, otters were rarely seen on Eastern rivers. Nowadays it is common for otters to turn up in gardens where they decimated pond stocks in their search for food.

[@markhepworth]

Otters don’t eat out a river,that wouldn’t be a very good survival strategy for a species,that has lived here since before the last ice age,considering they’ve been here that long..how is it you think we have any fish in our rivers..? And why is it that in healthy wild areas of the world where otters are,they have perfectly healthy fish populations....🤔😆

[@iansmith788]

@@markhepworth there are cormorants living in land now in large numbers, together with little egrets and great egrets which are also predating large numbers of fish added to that there is sewerage pollution heavier water vegetation and the silting up,of river beds making it hard for some species of fish such as barbel to spawn, in some places young fish are introduced by the EA. I believe otters are rarely seen on that particular stretch of river now as they have mostly moved on to other stretches of river and bodies of water. If you don’t believe it is true look up the EA water records over this time for the upper stretches of our rivers, the upper stretches have mainly shallow stretches where it is difficult for fish to escape predators. John Wilson had intimate knowledge of the River Wensum, the same collapse of fish stocks happened there. Historically people used to hunt otters with otter hounds that doesn’t happen any more so otters don’t have any predators now and their populations have expanded rapidly. Regarding historical data for otter populations do you have any real data to back up your argument?

[@Prasutagucaster]

@@markhepworthyep they do. They wipe out the edible stock and also kill for fun and the move on to the next killing field, either a new river or new stretch. It all gets very territorial

[@markhepworth]

@@Prasutagucaster No,they do not. If otters did what you suggest...there never would have been any fish left in any of our rivers. Considering they have been native here since the last ice age,how do you explain fish in UK rivers..? 🤦‍♂️🤡😂

[@DEADB33F]

​@@markhepworth Not really true. Large specimen fish such as are stocked here wouldn't really ever be seen in such large concentrations as they are in fisheries. If you were happy to have a lake stocked only with large numbers of smaller fish I'm sure the new spawns easily keep up with otter predation. Good luck getting any of them to a size that you can turn a profit charging anglers to fish such a lake though. It could be argued that the large specimen common & mirror carp that are so desired by anglers and take many many years of careful nurturing to get to that size are themselves unnatural and in the wild would be predated long before they ever got to be that size. ...those facts don't make it any more palatable to fisheries managers who can see their livelihoods and many years of hard work up the swanny after an overnight visit by an otter or two. --- As seen in the video, the only legal solution is to fence your lake. And if you fish rivers I guess you're SOL.

[@catalickconverta6823]

Expensive but you have to put slabs under neith the electric fence to stop the grass growing up to it, also makes it extremely easy to strim it back

[@LiamJProduction]

i know a few lake owners that have taken matter into there own hands and now they dont have an issue

[@airriflemaniac]

Can shoot a fox to protect chickens worth a couple quid, but not allowed to protect fish worth thousands, I believe if they're inside a fenced fishery it should be fair game, if the fishery isn't fenced then that's the owners fault and the otters have right to stay

[@kamcass4884]

Best thing to do get rid of the horrible things

[@BadlydrawnBen]

Those lake owners should be prosecuted and their fisheries turned into nature reserves and yes I'm a fisherman and have been for over 50 years

[@JamieVauxnut1]

​@BadlydrawnBen the law isn't always right unfortunately... Otters we're released too close together in waterways that have been straightend and managed over the years and couldn't support them . Next to no consultation with the EA and other organisations . Done for the right reasons but executed very poorly just like the disaster that is the wild mink population although that was an illegal release. The people that should be prosecuted are the otter trust and the individuals that gave the go ahead for legal release of otters not to mention illegal releases around the UK. We are about to face the same issues with beavers , up here in Scotland they are already causing issues for endangered ground nesting birds , critical wild meadows and farmland

[@LiamJProduction]

@@BadlydrawnBen if you think that don’t bother calling your self an angler! Call you self a twat!

[@user-hl6th7ev9w]

Here in Scotland Otter numbers are increasing but there not really so much of a problem. The real problematic concern we have are Cormorants. We are plagued with them. Yet the Scottish government refuses to accept the impact and damage they ( and Goossanders) are having to fisheries as well as wild Sea Trout and Salmon stocks . I recently, with my own eyes, watched a Cormorant catch and swallow whole, a Rainbow Trout 2 - 21/2lb.

[@colinbrette4387]

Im probably going to get slated for this but here goes. Dont blame the otter for its nature, that's just what it does. Blame the lack of its main food supply which is the eel. Plus the crap state of our rivers today. Otters where hunted into extinction on the river tees where i live, with dogs back during the Victorian times by the game keepers protecting the salmon fishing. Lets face it you wouldn't expect tesco to leave its doors open all night, and not get looted. Its up to fishery owners to protect there stock, its just the way it is...subscribed 🐟😎

[@milinkerhe]

Well said. Like chickens and foxes. When we are talking native species, it is up to us to provide protection, and just be happy that we have some beautiful native mammal species left.

[@GoneFishingVlog]

I don’t think you’ll get slated for stating facts. As a fishermen I obviously hate what otters do but being honest like you said you can’t hate a creature for fighting for survival.

[@rickymossman1937]

Are you real they wipe out people's fishing ponds to let alone fishing lakes that put no end of money in to it to be eaten should be stopped people like you keep protecting them maybe you should pay for them to be stocked of fish

[@adamroots3429]

No these are released otters,born in captivity ,some chipped..

[@davepenton4137]

​@adamroots3429 you are talking absolute bollocks.. Their is not an otter alive in the UK today that is captive bred. That is fact. The last otter captive bred and released in the UK was in 1999. So get your facts right.

[@mikeward9039]

Crazy! I Was literally just watching an interview of John Wilson addressing this issue from a few years back before he passed .. then go on my home page and see this 😂 legend John RIP

[@markhepworth]

It’s called an “algorithm” it’s how KZbin works..

[@mikeward9039]

@@markhepworth oh really wow that’s just so cool mark hepworth

[@markhepworth]

@@mikeward9039 It’s called “knowing stuff” little buddy..

[@mikeward9039]

@@markhepworth I’m so so glad mastermind mark hepworth was here to teach me about the illusive thing they call an algorithm thank you mark Hepworth I now “ know stuff “

[@markhepworth]

@@mikeward9039 I do apologise,you were (I’m sure entirely coincidental) giving the impression that you were ignorant of why you were receiving content related to content you’ve been searching. Seeing as this is the very basic way KZbin works,I’m sure you feigned surprise at dear old Johns otter rant appearing on your home page after watching another rant about otters. 😆

[@Familyman0838]

Key to otter fences is to dig them 2ft under the ground level stops them digging under

[@leemanton4994]

Rip, the great Jhon Wilson tried to tell us!

[@luke_angling]

John's own lake got Ottered which was a real shame

[@adamroots3429]

​@@luke_anglingand his beloved river Wensum,that's why in part,he went to Thailand ..

[@luke_angling]

@@adamroots3429 It's most of the reason I think. Sadly he was going to come back but never did.

[@bob-en1ql]

ur lakes in a great location because otters normally follow water sources an find lakes fed from them ie rivers n streams with you not havinng a inlet/ outlet into a stream itll help , plus ur next to a road so that helps aswell fingers crossed that they stay away

[@kippersniffer3699]

8 environment agency bailiffs for the whole of the West Midlands where does our fishing licence money go ?

[@DjDolHaus86]

Count yourselves lucky, there's 2 for Devon and Cornwall

[@kippersniffer3699]

@@DjDolHaus86 the environment agency foot soldiers are good guys the problem lays at management's feet and above they are criminally corrupt .

[@adamroots3429]

​@@DjDolHaus86where are they ,lol only ever seen one and he was my neighbour ...and that was 35 years ago...

[@DjDolHaus86]

@@adamroots3429 I've seen 2 in the wild over the last 30 years of angling

[@adamroots3429]

Lol,apparently someone was caught on Porth back along ,so they might exist 😅

[@extreme_loe]

i had one climb in my landing net whilst fishing my local canal after sun set, didn’t know if i should be scared or amazed

[@EVOlution-EVo19]

I have a koi pond and 6yrs ago had a visitor, at first I thought someone had stolen my koi .. after setting a cctv camera up , it caught an otter in the pond one night .. in total I lost 30 big koi .. since restocked pond and have 3 strands electric cattle fence unit on the top of pond wall . No visitors since 🤞🏻

[@shauncorless8965]

Lost loads to otters ,,,make sure fence goes well down 👇

[@yorkietipper1606]

The rivers aren't protected though mate and that's one of the major issues . Fisheries are all good and well but we need the natural habitats too . Otters are killing them

[@fishingtour1642]

Another banger mate doing everything for this lake

[@MrTomd21]

Brilliant video Benedict 👍🏼 really highlights the challenges to modern angling in general with otter predation. Really got to feel for all the fisheries that have worked from the ground up and have had some of their best grown on carp stocks ruined in the last few years since they’ve been reintroduced!

[@richiedd4119]

The rivers need improving, they don't hold enough fish. we need improve water quality

[@christopherquaife3713]

I have been done twice now I have probably lost 20k worth of fish to them I own Fisheries in Shropshire we have loads of them around here

[@shanewestern3687]

I don't think otters are cute. Good on you Ben putting up the otter fence I've seen what the damage they can do. Good on embro aka Danny Fairbrass as alot of fisherys can't afford to do it as Wood and metal fencing is very expensive

[@petersmith6974]

Saw a otter twice 4 yrs ago in the river I fish.Big creatures looked like a seal. Fishing the following couple of years around that area wasn’t very good. Not as many wild brown trout as previously.

[@phily50]

To be fair, the otters were there before your lake was.

[@adamroots3429]

Not necessarily have you heard about captive bred otters being released on purpose near fisheries to sustain them ,I've seen it on my own fisheries

[@davepenton4137]

@adamroots3429 Are you confused? Their is no such thing as a captive bred otter in the UK, that is now in the wild. If you honestly believe what your saying, please supply the evidence to support your claim.

[@phily50]

@@adamroots3429 lol.

[@adamroots3429]

You are incorrect the vast majority of lutra lutra that is causing all the damage stems from the original legal and illegal breeding programmes ,their parents were born in captivity or come the Scottish isles, the offspring ,many of which were born and released onto the wild ,on purpose near a viable food source .. It's shut now,but the Tamar Otter sanctuary near North Petherwin, openly admit to releasing captive born and orphaned otters in to the Tamar Valley.. Facts ...

[@adamroots3429]

​​@@davepenton4137unfortunately you are very much mistaken ,there were several individuals who had their own private release agenda, they bred them and let them go into areas where otters never existed ,or where a male was in short supply ..I have caught two rewilders doing so in the Allen Valley catchment not only that ,the 80 plus on site bred and orphaned cubs were released regularly over several years from The Tamar otter sanctuary, they admit to it ,it is now shut down thank goodness,as every water course from there led into the Tamar Valley.. Before denigrating, get your facts right ,ok.. Even Dave Webb,from UKWOT acknowledged that ,over 130 documented predated lakes ,not just rivers in my area alone ,...over 30 years worth of collation ,and photographic evidence ..do your research..

[@accesszero4803]

The fact u have to fence all lakes which stops wildlife gettin to the waters edge just is crazy

[@benfowlerfisheries]

Its a huge shame. We have however had ducks, swans and lots of other creatures visiting :)

[@loganhill6601]

Here in Missouri in the US we have a good sized pond be completely wiped out of fish by otters twice in 5 years after we restocked and we can never find the otters I've barely ever seen them and idk if they do the same in the UK but they usually will clean out a pond or small lake before they move on and do it somewhere else they didnt even eat half the fish just killed them and left them on the bank. This was a pond before they hit that i could catch keeper eatable crappie every cast and wasn't uncommon to catch 3+ lb bass all day then i went and couldnt catch a fish in hours not even a nibble

[@loganhill6601]

When they 1st started showing up because they were nearly wiped out here they multiplied so quick that within a couple years we had otter trapping seasons and others which worked because at the time Asian markets were paying very good money for the furs then animal rights got involved then that went away and nobody goes after them unless they are already destroying a lake or pond and people have to be careful because it's usually illegal to take them out and our conservation department pretty well tell people just to deal with it or try and live trap them and move them but they are too damn smart for that. It was much better when you could find a fur trader to get rid of them as the $100-$300/fur was good motivation but they have pretty privilege because they are cute people don't want them killed at all and they basically have no predators here

[@amygav2171]

Abousle amazing looking great kev and gang for great work ❤❤❤

[@johnaskins499]

Not the same but where my nephew lives seals have gone into the river and absolutely been hammering the fish stocks. The environment agency can't do a thing to get rid of them

[@GDUBMX]

subbed mate

[@theabandonedhunter3604]

Another wicked video…. Looking forward to visiting Kevs Pool!! 🎣 ….Smithy

[@chrispage1888]

Keeper I know that builds pheasant pens have a flap on the ground that is secured with old horseshoes so foxes can't dig under

[@peternufc1981]

I love fishing. I like otters too. They deserve to swim in rivers too

[@adamroots3429]

I'm seeing a few comments regarding captivity bred and released lutra lutra.. There were and possibly still are private individuals releasing orphaned and bred juveniles into habitats with no available food sources,well meaning ,but a dangerously wrong policy.. For example the two townies who were caught letting go two mature otters ,on a heavily polluted stream ,caught in the action by a farmer on his land...

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Not just the fish. They can seriously impact on the bird life.

[@mowglimike8169]

I hate otters as a river fisherman I've seen a big decline in fish numbers over the years because of otters cormorants and water companies dumping waste .we should be allowed to keep otters numbers in check there are to many of them now

[@paulshoemaker5957]

Do you think an otter would lick fish paste off the end of your nob if you stayed still enough? Also would it be best to lay on your back and wait or really hash it out engaging your core muscles in a plank position?

[@FortValance]

😂😂😂😂

[@royboyll]

You need to dig a trench 2ft wide and a foot deep. Use steel posts to atatch the wire to. Sink the wire to the bottom of the trench after that fill the trench with concrete . The otters won't be able to get through that.

[@Ollie2398]

whens the next video?

[@originalshadowfax]

I do wonder how much grief is caused by mink and blamed on otters. Easy to blame them without any actual evidence. Not saying they don't cause issues, but mink have to take some blame too

[@LucasR-xl4sl]

Great video, another fascinating insight into what goes on in starting and running a fishery. Keeping an eye on the Catch App! All the best =)

[@pickled6956]

Your feet covered got a like from me 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ako5bcv]

That’s the wrong attachment for the machine 😂😂

[@cb900steve]

I put 65 koi into my mud pond and at harvest time I had 2 left, Otters had taken the lot, cost me a fortune to fence it, and that was 10 years ago. I gave up shortly after that ☹

[@joelmontgomery4496]

Cry me a River 😂

[@Bot-rp7rj]

​@@joelmontgomery4496oooo sorry joel

[@outdoorswithtom]

Love your videos ❤

[@SlagianPeiovici]

Well done mate!

[@melissatrader8528]

Okay it's in the beginning or like a little bit farther from the beginning of the video and start digging under the fence well why don't you dig down you know like a foot or two and put the fence down in the dirt this way when they go to dig down they can't get under it

[@finesseddad3969]

Tractor battery on the tornado wire and a good air rifle I thought if you’re land is overrun by a predator problem and endangering ppl and fish you could defend it 2 fixes 1 air rifle 2 a few terriers or gsd

[@antnewbon2673]

Your a bigger girl than i am. Amd thats saying something.

[@Bot-rp7rj]

You're

[@DannyFR30]

Soon as i hear a fishery has had an otter problem, i never return. Told too many lies about "the big one" still being in there, when infact the stock has been savaged.

[@readmore7180]

Otters are not cuddly little furry things, they are ferocious predators. They are a pest

[@jonnymc67]

Was down white acres last week was fishing up on Nelson one popped up right in front off me been on there a while so I been told

[@adamroots3429]

They are everywhere in Kernow,literally...everywhere!

[@benfowlerfisheries]

I grew up fishing on nelsons every year!

[@jonnymc67]

@@benfowlerfisheries same here mate but pats pool use to fish the matches down there was on high bank what backs on to pats and saw my first ever cat was only 13 at the time told me dad I want fish for them next year down here lol and the rest is history never looked back on carp fishing

[@aquaticcolledgefishing]

Another great video. That lake is going to ve something special 👌

[@joelmontgomery4496]

Don't think so Oly the Otter in,tells his kids He tells the North Face kids,bye bye😂

[@Yamaha.ha.ha.ha.]

I take it these fish have never been hooked caught before. Does that mean the first few rods there will be going off all day for first few days. Or does it not work like that. I've never fished a bran new venue. I imagine the first few days reels are going off like mad.

[@benfowlerfisheries]

This will all b e explained in the next video!

[@fishypie]

because our poor rivers are in such a poor state with not the fish to support the otter they will come into the private waters and have easy pickings, i do not blame the owners for killing them as they spend 10s of 1000s of pounds on there fish.

[@Prasutagucaster]

Otters are now that prolific and like town foxes. I see them in our town taking easy pickings from lazy takeaway owners who throw waste bin bags into the street.

[@Nick-vp7lp]

6" wide pipes... so you mean REALLY REALLY wide piping then 😂😉

[@BadlydrawnBen]

Iv been a fisherman over 50 years fisheries dont have an otter problem otters have a people problem like most wildlife

[@Onthebank.]

They will kill any lake 🙄🙄

[@Jigger2361]

...there is never an "Otter Problem" only a "People Problem"

[@EMTBLife]

Birds of pray 🙏

[@billyb5059]

Good stuff should a lot more subscribers 4 the amount of views

[@jimmunro4649]

Nothing in wild keep Otters number in check like there was .Silly idea bring there back people don't think

[@milinkerhe]

Believe it ot not their numbers are still very low compared to what they should be. Their reproduction is very limited and there is a high natural mortality. Road death, accidental posioning/ trapping are all significant hazzards. They never really had a major predator appart from man, not even the wolf, as their are densities are naturally so low.

[@quebecpatriot1874]

dont throw water in Hanazilla`s face and she wont attak

[@matthewcumming8066]

Otters are not the issue, I’m a fisherman, otter are classed as wide spread in the UK and doing what they would naturally, so they are not the issue! Unfortunately the issue is far more closer to home

[@Bot-rp7rj]

What's the issue then?

[@gypsymafia150]

when is it open for fishing

[@anthonyscott1354]

Who’s gonna know do wot you need to do 🤫

[@marksmith3553]

"I EXPOSED THE UK OTTER PROBLEM" 15 years to late pal

[@davidhudson7590]

Often minks mistaken but both wasteful one bite and next fish so kill many more fish than need

[@jamess3408]

No offence, I appreciate the effort, but I blue lake with a fence around it doesn't look great. J

[@DAVIDSeaton-qh8rl]

Any d3cent angler fully knows about otters

[@LiberaNosAMalo]

It’s almost painful watching this video! It’s f**king with my OCD. Leave this kinda work to the pros.

[@trustme352]

Bear trap sorted 😊

[@chrissmedley3418]

I bet your going to increase the price of fishing to get your money back after you put the fencing in

[@alandavies3727]

You should make the environment agency pay for the fence. It’s their fault in the first place.

[@joelmontgomery4496]

Why? Fo

[@adamroots3429]

No,it's natural England's fault along with other quiet 'green 'individuals, nothing to do with EA,at all...

[@alandavies3727]

@@adamroots3429 surely they would have to get permission from the EA? Look at the damage these creatures are doing to fish and birds. Who’s in charge of looking after the environment of the UK?

[@alandavies3727]

@@adamroots3429 I’ve had a look at who’s to blame.you’re right, Natural England along with the Otter Trust are to blame. The EA is piggy in the middle! I don’t know if these organisations gave any thought to the environment impact otters would have. It’s thought that otters are to blame for the loss of 95% of the eel population. This is disgusting. What a terrible organisation. But it all comes back to the Government they would have to give this organisation permission the go ahead.

[@alandavies3727]

@@adamroots3429 I’ve sent a freedom of information to Natural England. Asking them if they did an environmental impact study before re introducing otters back into the environment. I told them the reason for the request was that 95% of the eel population has been blamed on otters. This should be interesting.

[@koenbogaard]

Instant sub your a legend!

[@jamiehoney9889]

Great film Ben, the otter problems around r local area r no joke! P.s i like ya knocker but did u know u can also get a Pecker for it!!😂

[@Paddy3881]

Otters are a native species and sadly you have created a snack bar for them. The greater risk to rivers is pollution caused by water companies and excessive abstraction. If you want to protect your fish erect a fence.

[@alandavies3727]

I agree 100% with you. Another stupid idea by the do- gooders. Otters totally destroyed Adam’s Mill the once home of the British record barbel. These horrible creatures ate the record! I hate them. It’s not only fish they’re killing , it’s water birds as well.

[@bigounce941]

Don’t get how you can hate them for doing what they do naturally

[@jimmunro4649]

Nothing keep there number in check like there was

[@fpvfreedomuk]

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[@julien1]

I mean for commercial fisheries otters almost certainly are a major concern, as are herons, cormorants, minx, sea gulls, bad anglers, eastern europeans, etc etc etc. Since people killed the wolves and bears here in the UK alongside Lynx's and god knows what else the Otters have little to no natural predation. Its not their fault, it never is the fault of nature. People that run business' that rely on nature must understand it is NEVER the fault of wilderness....! It is the 21st Century if you cant work out how to apply contemporary technology to guard against wild animals its pretty sad IMO. No otter or rat or fox can gnaw through steel lol or reinforced concrete ffs. Stop moaning.

[@simoncaddick6911]

😂❤🎉

[@wire_carper4889]

Otters have been a problem long before you “exposed” the issue 13 days ago lol. Only a few decades late on it bro…

[@seanbolton3737]

Otters or American mink?

[@jamiehoney9889]

It could take ya finger off too!

[@gypsymafia150]

when will it avalable to fish ?

[@benfowlerfisheries]

Very soon! Go heart the fishery on the @gocatch app

[@finesseddad3969]

Hire me for £100 I’ll bring my dog and some gear 🤙🏽😂

[@user-rw2hz8kj2n]

Nite vision, 25 cal hi power air rifle slug, n bit ov waiting,bobs ya uncle...

[@mikevoller-fishingfun9095]

thinking the same if it was my lake.

[@1ongava]

Shows an Asian short clawed otter, much smaller species, whines about a European otter (Lutra lutra), totally different. Bloke "attacked' by otter was in Singapore, I mean don't let the truth get in the way of a good story. Wealthy man, builds an artifical lake, full of giant artifical carp, moans about native wildlife. I understand the frustration, fence it, deal with it, support other fisheries. Take umbrage with the water companies, government, developers which are denuding our environments and habitats, pumping shit into our water courses, creaming huge profits and forcing our wildlife and species rich waterways into decline. If they're healthy, and in equilibrium we can live with otters without this conflict. They do help remove mink from our rivers and are a brilliant animal. Hey park a car full of hungry blokes next Maccas. They're gonna eat. Good luck with opening

[@mattpointer8495]

Artificial carp? Have a word with yourself mate

[@benfowlerfisheries]

I dont think you watched to the end of the video because i clearly wasn't moaning. I was making an informative video. The otters at the zoo were clearly not UK native but the closest example we could show. Over 50% of all lakes in the UK are artificial. And i believe the carp are very real too. Unless Ai has taken a serious leap lol

[@1ongava]

@@benfowlerfisheries Noted, and I did. We have an otter sancturary on the edge of Dartmoor down here, should have popped down! Maybe moany is not the right word, however it does sound pretty disgruntled to be honest, you've complained about ecological and environmental legislation the entire way through your lake build, and in some cases for good reason. It is far from perfect and frequently misunderstood. I didn't say the carp weren't real, just that they are articfically breed and reared on, and a far cry from natural fish. I mean where do we draw the line, a long way from the Middle Ages and monk food!? I get the frustration of a fishery owner especially if action of wildlife or others affects your livelihood. Yes I know most lakes are artifical and provide a rich habitat for UK wildlife. Notwithstanding this, it is hard to blame the creature though, which still only numbers circa 11,000 in the UK, and as you rightly say we need to be able to live with. Have you ever seen one in the wild? They are pretty amazing

[@stevewebb4692]

Little buggers

[@chmangling]

What a crock of shite. Otters are at the bottom of the list of issues affecting our waters

[@milinkerhe]

Otters have been persecuted for centuries and are a keystone species, keeping balance in and around natural freshwater habitats, providing the sanitary role of eating sick fish. If they are around they will mark your lake as their territoiry with some spraints straight away. They smell of linseed oil, and have lots of visible bones throughout. These are usually deposited on rock or tree stumps at the water's edge. They are truely amazing animals and it is great if you have them in your area. Good luck with the fence. Probably wise if you are close to a water course with an otter population.

[@adamroots3429]

I can assure you otter spraint does NOT, small of linseed oil,wherever did you read that ,completely incorrect,sorry..also.in all my time lutra lutra prefer fresh ,not carrion ...

[@milinkerhe]

@@adamroots3429 What do you think it smells of then? I've also found it smells of slightly of honey. In anycase I've never found it unpleasent.

[@milinkerhe]

Carrion? I said sick fish, not dead fish. Its well documented that theu play a sanitary role. That said I've seen with my own eyes an otter bring to the surface a dead spent salmon, near out house in Brittany.

[@milinkerhe]

@@adamroots3429 Wow you must be an expert, you know a latin name. Classic! FYI, I've been closely following an otter family for the last 6 months, and if ever in doubt about a marking I smell their droppings. I can assure you that there is a whiff of linseed oil. When was the last time you smelled one? I also have a PhD in freshwater so you would hope I'm not a complete idiot.

[@Mr.A.-]

I'm unsubbing after this now. I subbed out of interest, as an avid fisherman myself, it's a dream of mine, and many other anglers I've met in my life, to do what you're doing. Albeit I'd build it for myself, and not a glamping setup for so called fishermen who fish for pets. So to see this rich kid moan about a wild animal do what it has to do to survive to keep "fishermen" happy is an absolute disgrace. Unsubbed and set not to recommend this channel to me. Best of luck with it all anyways , I'm sure it will do well.

[@benfowlerfisheries]

Adios Amigo 👋

[@declancross6796]

Built the lake in his dads name and yet he’s just a rich kid pleasing fishermen 🙃 this is his lake and he can pretty much do what he wants to protect it

[@mattpointer8495]

Bye then mate I’m sure you will be missed 👋🏻

[@larsvegas1505]

U should just make a shed asap where u can grow out some small carp.. or a growout pond.. spending 20k on some fish is crazy.. otters dont kill doubles anyways.. they wont grab a fish over 6lb anyways.. they mostly eat swan musscles over here in the netherlands.. u see piles of them on the banks..

[@davidwhitworth8492]

I've seen 20lb carp torn open by otters!

[@alandavies3727]

What are you talking about? Otters killed the 20lb + record barbel at Adam’s Mill

[@larsvegas1505]

@@davidwhitworth8492 the uk landscape is deprived of water though.. thats why otters are so annoying over there.. build 1 pond in the middle of a desert and they will flock to it.. I never see otters kill big fish over here.. because they have plenty of other forage.

[@davepenton4137]

Try telling that to all the double figure carp they have eaten, especially the 26lber posted last week on KZbin.

[@davepenton4137]

​@@larsvegas1505the otters in the States are a different species to the UK, ours don't live in groups, and a lake in a dessert would be the last place an otter would go😂😂😂😂

[@dirtybiker420]

otters were around before commercial fishieries

[@davepenton4137]

Talk about dramatic, I've enjoyed all your videos so far, but that was the biggest load of drivel, I've heard. The lies and miss truths in the comments, regarding captive breeding and no thought given to releases and being released in large numbers and close together is beyond belief. Their is only one species of otter in the UK, and the only time that was shown was in Ben Millings footage, all the others were Asian Short Clawed or smooth coat otters only found in zoos and wildlife parks in the UK. You show a man attacked by otters which was in Singapore, and go to a wildlife park and explain how a small Asian Short Clawed otter takes on a 40lb carp, when it would never have seen one. As for the fish farm owner, 36 pairs of otters released, a major exaggeration. Anyone who knows anything about otters knows It would be suicidal to release that amount of otters and that's why it didn't happen. When otters were released in a captive breeding program from 1983 to 1999, a total of 117 otters were released. In groups of 3, 2 females and 1 male to mimic what happens in the wild. UK otters are solitary animals, the only time you will see them in groups of 2, 3 or 4 is a mum with cubs. It is obviously very upsetting for a fishery owner to lose fish, but fencing is the only option to prevent otter predation, if an otter does get in a fenced fishery it can be removed humanely and free of charge, by contacting UKWOT. If you want to remove it yourselves by any means, be prepared if caught for a prison sentence and or large fine, don't think it doesn't happen because it has.

[@lifeisland7715]

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