Cormorants – Biodiversity in Danger

Both documents mentioned are available for download on the download buttons below.


My colleague Trevor Harrop and myself Budgie Price co front The Avon Roach Project here in Hampshire, with the aim of reinstating a self sustaining population of roach in the river’s middle reaches, where they have suffered a dramatic decline over the past three decades.

As an accompaniment to this we have been compelled to help form a coalition of interested parties in a cohesive drive to do something about the biggest threat to not only our roach, but to all inland fish species; The Cormorant, carbo sinensis, a foreign invasive species from mainland Europe that began its rapid UK colonisation in the 1980’s and now number some 23,000 wintering individuals.

We have co-written the attached factual document for mass circulation, to clarify the situation and forge a united front, something we are sure you’ll agree, angling is not readily known for, and to gather as much support as possible.

Being such an emotive subject, I suspect this may not be the only quarter you receive the document from, so we are sorry if we’re not the first.

So then, we are pleading for your help and support in lobbying for a change in legislation in the forthcoming DEFRA review of the Cormorant Licensing System, to have the cormorant placed on the ‘General License’ by signing our ON-LINE PETITION to environment minister Richard Benyon at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/cormorants-biodiversity-in-danger.html
This will allow the legal control of cormorant numbers to protect our already struggling fish stocks.

Full details and further background information can also be found, along with the link to the petition at www.avonroachproject.co.uk where you will also find the full story of our roach project.

This is possibly the only chance we will all get to make the difference so desperately needed.

With your help we can make the difference. Without it, we can’t!

Also attached is a jpeg file of an A4 poster we have produced. We intend getting this on as many, angling club web sites, fishing tackle shop counters and in as many windows as we can up and down the country. So, we ask would you please take part and print it out (or as many as you feel you can use), maybe have it encapsulated at your local stationery shop, and displayed in your local tackle shops.

We also ask that you either put this document and/or poster or a related mention on your web site and in newsletters for your members, plus circulate it to as many people you think might also be prepared to help.

Thank you.

Budgie Price and Trevor Harrop