Nelson, the seal who chewed £4,000 worth of fish stocks in Essex, dies after rescue attempt
A brave seal who set up camp in a fishing lake in Essex and ate 4,000 pounds of livestock has sadly passed away after a third attempt to remove him.
‘Nelson’, as the seal came to be known, had been crouching at Marks Hall Fisheries in Rochford, Essex since December 12 after swimming up the nearby River Roach.
The four-foot-tall, hungry fellow was often seen fighting his way through the stock of carp, catfish and bream in the lake – and was the subject of three eviction attempts.
Lake owner Nick North had to close his business because the “very fat” seal evaded conservation groups’ last two attempts to remove it.
Nelson moved to Essex Fishing Lake after swimming up the nearby River Roach
Tragically, Nelson died during the third attempt to pull him out of the fishing lake
However, on the last attempt on Friday, disaster struck.
Animal teams from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) shot the animal with a tranquilizer gun, but unfortunately the seal died underwater while sedated. due to ‘unforeseen complications’
Nick North, who manages the rod ponds, said: ‘I would like to know that myself and Marks Hall Fisheries had nothing to do with the decision to use a tranquilizer dart to try and catch the seal.
“It was the sole responsibility of the BDMLR to use this method and they have made the decision to proceed.
‘We were only on site as observers as I am the permit holder for fishing rights at Rochford Reservoir.
“I was hoping they would catch it and treat it. It had a nasty infection on one of its fins that probably would have killed it in the end.
‘To be fair, BDMLR is just a charity and does a lot of good.
“They save more animals than not, and not everything can be saved, but people don’t see it that way.”
Nelson’s victims were often found floating in the waters of the popular fishing lake
Nelson managed to eat £4,000 worth of fish stocks in a month
Alderman Dave Sperring of Rochford District Council, who is in charge of environmental issues, said: ‘There was a very tight control of who was there.
‘It is deeply sad. Nelson became a local character overnight.
“As I understand it was injured and the rescue was needed to return it to its natural habitat.
“They arranged it well. All the experts who could be there were there.
“It’s a protected species. I have met these people many times and they are very conscientious.
“They wouldn’t have gone out and killed it on purpose.
“They wouldn’t have made all those attempts for that result.
“Sometimes things don’t go the way we hoped. It’s one of those things that we sometimes have to deal with.’
Mr North had previously told reporters that the seal had some injuries that had previously been a concern for the BDLMR but were not deemed life-threatening.
These include a cut to his head and tail and a suspected blind eye.
He said, ‘It’s not supposed to be here, this is fresh water, you’ve never seen a seal in a park lake or any lake.
“It’s not made for fresh water. Even if it ruins my business. It’s still part of nature, I think, just an unwanted part.’
Mr. North is now tasked with finding the four-foot-long seal that has sunk to the bottom of the three-and-a-half-acre lake.
Until then, he cannot reopen the Fishery.
Nelson had gorged himself on the local wildlife since moving to the lake in December
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said the seal suffered multiple injuries before they made the decision to shoot the creature.
The team was eager to capture the animal to rehabilitate it.
According to the wildlife organization, the harbor seal had an open wound on its rear fin and an eye wound after living in the “coarse” fishing lake for more than six weeks.
Their goal was to treat the animal before returning it to the sea ‘where it belonged’.
The team worked with South Essex Wildlife Hospital, Rochford Council, Essex Police and the Environment Agency.
A BDMLR spokesperson said: ‘This is a very sad outcome of a very difficult situation.
“Rescuing an animal with anesthesia is a significant risk, but in this case the coalition felt it was worth it.”
They added: ‘The Coalition expresses deep disappointment and sadness that the operation was not successful, but had emphasized before the rescue that there was significant risk involved.
“Nevertheless, since the seal was in danger of being shot to get it out of the lake, it was thought worth capturing and relocating it to save its life.”
The BDMLR also employed a specialist vet who successfully shot the seal, but the team was unable to capture the animal ‘due to unforeseen complications’.
They believe it then died underwater while calm.