The LFCC have been lucky enough to receive donations from the organisers of the Annual Swallowfield Show, held in August, by way of voluntary efforts by local individuals to aid the running of this event.
The committee have been looking for avenues in which to allocate these funds for the benefit of its members and have decided to aid in subsidising the cost of mink traps (up to a maximum of three traps), purchased by the individual, Club or Organisation, from the Waterlife Recovery Trust. The subsidy will be £50 per trap initially.
Where member clubs or individuals etc, have already purchased traps from the WRT that are currently in operation, the LFCC will reimburse the appropriate value back to that club or individual etc.
The Waterlife Recovery Trust is currently involved in the removal of this invasive non native species in efforts to return the native Water Vole to rivers & lakes throughout the UK.
Predominantly started in East Anglia, the outward growth of this project across other counties and catchments is slowly spreading.
All of the details about traps, trapping, running costs and the overall project can be found at the link above.
The Loddon Fishers & Conservation Consultative would recommend the use of these traps and the associated equipment that goes with them in order to minimise the baiting and daily checking of traps, especially on large bodies or lengths of water, where time constraints may be an issue by volunteers. We strongly recommend that everyone wanting to participate in this scheme follow the advice and guidance offered by the Waterlife Recovery Trust, and ensure that the respective group of individuals involved in each project are aware of their responsibilities and duties, especially those relating to the use of firearms. https://www.waterliferecoverytrust.org.uk/firearms-legislation-safety/
The LFCC will not be held responsible for any breaches in the law.
The LFCC has already been offered guidance on real time trapping to anyone seeking more information, by a member club that have been trapping for at least two years now, using the the above WRT scheme.
Please get in touch if you are interested in getting started with these traps and claiming the subsidy the LFCC is offering.
Please note that the LFCC is not affiliated to, or promoting the WRT in any way for any type of gain.
Criterea:
- You must be a current, paid member of the LFCC, either as a Club, Organisation or individual.
- Provide a receipt for the purchase of the traps from the WRT to claim the subsidy.
- The trap or traps must be used within the Loddon catchment.