Animal Aid Blames Anglers for Habitat Degradation

Bradford Telegraph & Argus 28.8.06
The mink is not to blame
By Newsdesk

SIR

Bradford Council, in its zeal to protect water voles, have decided mink are the problem and aim to kill as many as possible (T&A, August 9). Rarely has a wild animal been as demonised as the North American mink or served as such a convenient scapegoat for the environmental vices of our species. The water vole population has fallen because we have removed, damaged or polluted its riverside habitat through building, flood control measures, bank mowing, dredging, angling and the reinforcement of river banks with iron and concrete.

The article suggested Bradford is awash with hordes of mink. This is not credible. Mink live a solitary life, marking out territory a mile apart from each other. Moreover, where otters flourish, and their numbers are going up because we no longer hunt or poison them, mink do badly. We should remember mink were imported and bred for fur in factory farms. When smaller operators went out of business in the Fifties, many opened their cages and turned the animals into the British countryside.

Let's end the scapegoating and take genuine steps to remedy our own reckless and selfish behaviour.

Andrew Tyler, Director, Animal Aid, Bradford Street, Tonbridge, Kent


Bradford Telegraph & Argus 6.9.06
Mink are pests
By Newsdesk

SIR

Andrew Tyler of Animal Aid is being disingenuous regarding the impact of mink on water voles (Letters, August 28). He blames fur farmers for the release of mink into the wild, whereas, in fact the vast majority of mink now in the wild were illegally released by his friends in the animal rights movement in their battle to have fur farming banned.

There is no doubt that the environment continues to suffer from degradation which makes the voles' habitat increasingly marginal but anyone who spends long periods on the waterside could tell him that where mink are present there are no rats or voles. The mink predate on them and take the young from the vole nests as well as taking mature water voles, birds, waterfowl and other small rodents. Mink have no natural predator in the UK, so man must intervene if we are to preserve the remaining stocks of water voles and other important wetland species.

Bradford Council is not alone in seeking to remove mink from the wild so as to encourage the return of the water vole. The Wildlife Trusts, local councils, conservationists and anglers are all working together to try to re-establish colonies of water voles in mink-free areas and are removing mink where they are found.

Michael Heylin
Secretary
Specialist Anglers Alliance