CaRT's latest caper!

Published: Friday, 22 June 2018

WE SHOULD imagine that most of you boaters are wondering what will be the next CaRT caper for getting rid of our money—it's a good one!

Canal & River Trust is very worried about the 'small wildlife' that is being devoured by otters coming out of Napton Reservoir and making a meal of them. According to Wikipedia, otters only eat invertebrates, such as insects, snails and worms, which must be what CaRT is so concerned about.

NaptonReservoirOtters also fancy crabs, lobsters, clams, starfish, sea-urchins and jellyfish and even octopus, but in the unlikely event of their being any, there is little need to come out on to the land to get them as they would already be in the water.

Around the entire circumference

So the trust is employing contractors (of course) to erect a fence around the entire circumference of the reservoir to stop the otters getting out and eating the insects, snails and worms. Looking at the size of it from the photograph, this is going to cost a very large amount of money.

But doesn't it realise that fish is the staple diet of the otter? And will be quite happy devouring those, much we should imagine to the annoyance of the anglers.