Salter takes aim at the beaver

Leaving aside the probably unintentional hilariousness of the title of his press release, which can be read in full here, his rant against the possible reintroduction of the beaver to the UK is bad science, as well as, in true Reading Labour boys' fashion, setting up a target which is non-existent and then trying to knock it down. The Science Editor of the Financial Times, who knows his onions on these matters, helpfully points out that Salter is simply wrong when he says that beaver dams prevent fish from reaching spawning grounds - after all, when beavers were still common in the UK, 400 years ago, so were fish. And Salter fulminates against the idea, saying whatever next, reintroduce the wolf? Already done in Scotland mate, and a very good idea too. I think his rant is because his paymasters in the angling federations believe that the presence of beavers would not improve the experience of leisure angling. Because of course 400 years ago when people fished England's rivers they did so for food, and that, according to paid lobbyist Salter, is Wrong. Only Foreigners from Eastern Europe do this! And they should be Punished! (Seriously, he has actually said that). Ludicrous. Bad science and bad politics. Mr Sarkar should dissociate himself from this nonsense immediately. Naz? Naz? (tumbleweed)