Joint statement on the Weaver ‘otter park’ from the Cheshire West and Chester Council, the Environment Agency, Northwich Anglers Association and Winsford & District Angling Association.
Meeting clears the air on Weaver otter concerns.
A meeting has taken place between interested parties to clear the air over concerns raised by anglers about a proposed ‘otter park’ in the River Weaver valley.
The Environment Agency responded to concerns raised by members of fishing clubs in the area, who feared that otters could pose a threat to specimen fish stocks.
The meeting was held on 17th November at the Environment Agency’s office in Birchwood. Attending were representatives from the two main angling clubs affected; Northwich Anglers Association and Winsford & District Angling Association, together with officers from the Environment Agency and Cheshire West and Chester Council.
The concept of an ‘otter park’ was first publicised in the Weaver Valley Park Development Plan. This plan outlines a vision for the whole of the River Weaver valley and includes proposals which would improve the quality of life for its population and to increase the prosperity of the area. There was very little information included in the plan documents as to the nature of the ‘otter park’. Local anglers had speculated what the proposals might include, and there was a widespread belief apparent on internet forums that otters might be introduced or encouraged to populate the area through artificial means.
Steve Clarke from Cheshire West and Chester Council assured the group that there were no plans to introduce otters. He explained how the proposals had been conceived, and that the ideas were based around improving the habitat adjacent to the river in areas where the habitat is currently poor. The development plan had used the otter as an iconic species, symbolic of the recovery of the area from the industrial past. The plan was not centred around increasing the number of otters, rather improving habitats which would benefit much wider range of species and would also benefit fish populations.
All the parties agreed that the developments proposed were beneficial for the river as a whole and that the development plan should have been more clear with regards to the description of the proposals.
Anglers are rightly concerned about threats to the highly valuable specimen fish stocks of the River Weaver and associated still waters in the river valley. The Environment Agency confirmed that they had been consulted throughout the process and fisheries experts had contributed to the proposals to ensure that the interests of local fisheries were protected.
