mikench
Well-known member
I might well have done Evan.
I will have to disagree with you on them being indigenous after 400 years of absence, they will certainly be an imposter with no natural balance with our existing flora and fauna after 400 years, they are as much a foreign invasion as anything else is. And a vastly changed landscape flora and fauna after 400 years is not the same habitat they once inhabited; not automatically suited to them as it once was, this is just an assumption and an excuse to release them by those that think they have the right. I hope it is not anyway, perhaps they will not breed to pest numbers. They could do a lot of damage if they do and I can foresee restrictions to fishing rights coming our way in the meantime either way. catfish could be a small problem by comparison if I am right.I’m sorry but beavers were indigenous in the Uk until they were hunted to extinction 400 years or so ago. Signal crays need exterminating and are an example of crass stupidity such as the introduction of grey squirrels and Japanese knotweed.Mitten crabs also need exterminating having been inadvertently imported in the bilge tanks of tankers and other large ships. We know enough about allowing the importation ,deliberately or otherwise, of alien species with dreadful consequences. I’m not just talking of the Uk. Look at Australia and cane toads, feral camels, dogs and pigs. Note the damage caused by rats to bird populations on remote islands , the infestation of crops and buildings by termites, Asian hornets, poisonous spiders and more, the release of pythons in Florida and other states. The list is endless and we must learn from those mistakes and not repeat them.
Look whatever happens Mike and Ian aren't going to change your minds,even though they haven't much experience of waters with them in
But they are not mink,if you can tell me that the venue you have experience of has been ruined ok,but not one venue in my area shows that,and this is where it started way back when,ok hard waters,stayed hard with hem there,but nothing changed....as it happens I see a few weasels and stoats,my missus asked me what it was running across the road as she had never seen one....that said,I see more otters,but they are bigger...
I wonder if they eat Beavers?When Sam put up this thread he really put the cat amongst the pigeons. As an aside the only real predator of mink are otters who won't tolerate them in their territory. They just kill them. I wonder if otters eat cats.