I've been reading about this for a day or two and have noticed what a very emotive issue the idea of culling/relocating pike is, particularly in Ireland.

A lot of the science seems to come out against the idea that removing pike from the equation is a good way of preserving trout stocks. Are there any scientists out there who do feel it's feasible?

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Jeffrey Prest
Features Editor
Trout Fisherman

Dont start me on this issue,

we are sick of telling them that taking the big pike out of a fishery the smaller pike run riot,
its called the balance of nature, you dont need to be a scientist to work that one out,

No. While I'm not a fisheries scientist, all the evidence I've seen is that you can't mess with the biomass of pike in a system. It will distibuted among numerous small fish or several large fish.

Like Hengemaster I am not a fisheries scientist, but I thought the latest thinking was absolutely to leave the big girls alone because to do otherwise is to invite an infestation of small pike. There may be no harm in taking a few jacks each year; a sweet water pike of 5 pounds or so can make good eating if prepared carefully, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall style.

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

The original policy on Llandegfedd was to trap and remove all pike. The big pike (many 40lb+) were transferred to other Welsh waters, some of these on the face of it were totally unsuitable for a big pike, and I don't think any were seen again.

The result of this was that small fish proliferated and it wasn't until they reversed the policy and left the big hen fish in the fishery that things settled down.

On balance I would rather they weren't there (they were illegally stocked by coarse anglers) but once they are in you are never going to eradicate them, and of course on many Irish fisheries they were always there, so you need to manage them and the best way is to leave the big fish in as a control on the smaller fish.

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Speaking to some people at a fishery board meeting last night, one of them told me that his business has seen his turnover double if not treble in the last 2 years, why?????
Anglers coming over to fly fish for pike,
this was repeated by at least 6 other people who are involved in the b&b, hotel, and catering business,

the fishery boards have and continue to use their out of date culling measures, bad fishery management methods and ignorance to eradicate the pike in ireland

the removal of all pike is is removing the best predator of them "themselves", our club had a remove all pike policy on the wharfe ,i have been trying to tell them to leave big fish in or suffer a resultant explosion of jacks ,i think its now sinking in ,ive also told them that if they dont have confidence to unhook them safely in the fishes respect then not to fish for them at all,pike look hard but i can assure anyone they are not they are a very delicate fish to be handled with care ensuring plenty of recovery time ....

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

I can certainly advise what happens in saltwater when you remove large, apex predators.

In this instance, when you remove large sharks from the ecosytem, you end up with an explosion of smaller sharks which, in turn, wipe out smaller fish, especially baitfish which, in turn, leads to a decline in gamefish.

I dont think it takes too many steps, laterally, to see what could occur in freshwater systems if the same occured!

I am sure that pike play an important role in freshwater in the same way that sharks, hyena's and other scanevngers do; that they cull sick and wounded fish and keep the ecosystems clean.


Ben

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Thanks for all the input, folks. It certainly seems to reflect the majority opinion.

If anyone with an appropriate qualification cares to stick his head above the parapet and tell you you're all wrong, however, then the door is still open...

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Jeffrey Prest
Features Editor
Trout Fisherman

jeffrey,
you may find this of interest,especially the link for the report with dr bruno broughton at bottom ..
both taken from the PAC-GB


PIKE CULLS: THE TRUTH

Pike eats Pike!The consequences of pike culling exercises have been well documented and they are widely acknowledged by fishery managers. After an initial decline in the number and overall biomass of pike, there is often a rapid recovery in the size of the population as a result of successful spawning and improved rates of survival of small pike. Where culls occur every few years the net result may well be that the pike biomass recovers to its pre-culling status, although this often consists of more, but smaller, pike.

Selective culling of the smaller pike appears to be more successful. If large pike are retained in situ they are able to prey on and control the numbers of their smaller brethren. Certain authors have reported the density-dependent regulation of pike populations through cannibalism. One Dutch scientist confirmed that the biomass of small pike, especially young-of-the-year fish, depended on the abundance of larger individuals present in shallow fisheries.

On small bodies of water where culling is efficient, intense and continuous, it is logical to conclude that pike numbers can be controlled and the numbers of prey fish may increase - sometimes with adverse consequences on their growth and health.

On larger bodies of water maintaining a pike cull becomes increasingly difficult and expensive. Fisheries scientists acknowledge that at least 30, and perhaps 70 percent or more, of the pike biomass must be removed annually to prevent the rapid recovery of a pike population to its pre-culling size. An american scientist has estimated that at least 25% of the individual pike had to spawn (and, therefore, had to be present) to maintain the pike population.

Where culling is not efficient, intense or continuous, the pike population can rapidly regain its former biomass at the expense of the average size of the fish. It has been pointed out that "Practical experience on many waters has shown, that when most large pike are removed from a lake, there is an 'explosion' of young pike surviving subsequently".

It is sobering to remember that since the last glaciation, some 10,000 years ago, British pike have not succeeded in eradicating their prey from any known fishery (bar one)..., something which cannot be said of mankind!

Pike Cull Review

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!