The Precautionary Principle

[gavin]

So many jokes were starting to form in my head there, but maybe I should suppress them. That first picture looks like a capybara at first glance.

[Jon]

I saw an otter in the Lagan just over a mile away from where I live a few years ago.
In the 1970s the Lagan was one of the most polluted rivers in Europe, as apart from all the Belfast industry the textile mills of Lisburn were 10 miles upstream. In part they have cleaned up the river but most of the industry is gone now anyway.

It has all gone downhill in Belfast since that English captain sailed off at the helm of the Titanic.

[Trog]

If you want to see otters, come to sunny Mull. All over the place - including on our boat, where at least one leaves regular 'offerings', the last one being a half-eaten dogfish! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/...73446199451223. If wildlife-spotting is too easy, you can try spotting tamelife: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/tobcat.

[gavin]

If you want to see otters, come to sunny Mull. All over the place - including on our boat, where at least one leaves regular 'offerings', the last one being a half-eaten dogfish! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Tobermory-Otter-Fund/173446199451223. If wildlife-spotting is too easy, you can try spotting tamelife: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/tobcat.

Two otters were run over at a bend in the road just a couple of hundred yards from the association apiary fairly recently. Brian (a colleague) was telling me just last week that his student put bait and one of those spy camera thingumigigs at a pond nearby and within 24hr had otter snaps, showing that despite the road deaths there are still plenty around. They must be travelling quite a bit overland to be knocked down on that road.

Otters are using the Tay estuary in numbers and the slightest ditch running across the Carse of Gowrie and the smallest rivulet coming off the Sidlaws seem to suit them.

No capybaras yet as far as I know.

PS But still go to Mull though, it is a cracking place* and the otters are more visible than here. Maybe I should just say that we have Sea (aka White-Tailed) Eagles too - the local one near my apiary is called George by the partner of a local beekeeper whose work window looks out over a disused airstrip where she works and the eagle sits. Look, I managed to mention 'beekeeper' to keep us on topic! Well, not really on topic, I'm drifting well off ....

* with some grand B&Bs!

[Neils]

If you want to see otters, come to sunny Mull. All over the place - including on our boat, where at least one leaves regular 'offerings', the last one being a half-eaten dogfish! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/...73446199451223. If wildlife-spotting is too easy, you can try spotting tamelife: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/tobcat.

Careful, I might take you up on that!

Though we do seem to have "urban" otters here in Bristol, but I've no idea where one might see them.

Years ago when I was a kid there was a locally famous otter called, ironically enough, Bee at a time when there were serious concerns that we might lose them completely and I've been fascinated with them since.

[Jon]

saw this on facebook yesterday as well.

[Neils]

pfft, I see your picture and raise you a video

[Black Comb]

The Bristol otters were on Countryfile last night, with an interview with the scientist involved.

[EmsE]

There is a big difference.
Imidacloprid, Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam are more toxic to the bees than the others.
These are the 3 that are likely to face a 2 year suspension while further safety tests are carried out.

Have the agrichemical companies explained why they use these 3 over the other types? Would the other types be suitable to be used on the crops if those 3 are withdrawn? If not, are the only other options for the farmers to revert back to spraying?

[EmsE]

Sorry, I know Wikipedia isn't te most accurate of sources, but the massive list of Google hits is just too much to wade through, unless you know what you're looking for. There are too many scare stories too.

I know the feeling