what eats a fish?

Soon after Christmas we met a man of indeterminate age sitting in the corner of a public house with one and a half pints of lager on his table. We had entered the pub to take advantage of its wireless internet access. The man took an interest in our laptop and engaged us in the following conversation.

"Can the world exist on a laptop?" he asked us.
"Er..."
"Can I exist on a laptop?" he continued.
"Yes."
"Can the world exist on the internet?"
"Yes."
"It's Christmas time... mistletoe and wine."
"Indeed."
"Do you like Christmas?"
"I can take it or leave it."
"Are you English?"
"Yes."
"Were you born in England?"
"Yes."
"...Children singing Christian rhyme..."
"Hm."
"Are you proud to be English?"
"I guess..."
"What does Christmas mean to you?"
"Not much really... family... I try to avoid it."
"What is Christmas?"
"It has lost its religious context and become a commercial festival."
"Do you like Christmas though?"
"No."
"Do you like Christmas?"
"No."
"How can the world exist on the internet?"
"Google Maps, Facebook..."
"Where am I going?"
"I do not know sir."
"Can that thing tell me where I'm going?"
"Yes."
"Tell me where to go."
"There's a door just over there..."
"Where will I go?"
"You could catch the bus."
"I've got a bus pass."
"Right."
"Sorry to be philosophical with you but where am I going?"
"Home?"
"If you didn't have that computer, what would you be doing now?"
"Having a conversation with someone."
"And how would you communicate without emails?"
"Send letters. Telephone."
"What did people do before emails?"
"Use carrier pigeons."
"How do you talk to a pigeon?"
"Coo..."
"You can't talk to a pigeon! How else would the letters get there?"
"Carrier dog..."
"How do you talk to a dog?"
"I'm just going outside for a cigarette."
"Who's in charge?"
"The Government."
"Who are the Government?"
"Our elected servants."
"Who are they?"
"The men and women who sit as members of Parliament."
"But they don't represent us do they, they're ripping us off."
"I guess... the expenses scandal..."
"They're ripping you and me off."
"The Government does waste a lot of money it's true."
"Where did it all begin?"
"The Big Bang?"
"No no no. The Government, where did it all begin?"
"I think all civilised societies have had a political elite."
"I'm sorry to bother you, I won't interrupt."
"That's OK."
"I'll just ask you one more question."
"Right."
"What eats a fish?"
"A whale?"
"No no no. What eats a fish?"
"A penguin."
"Look, you've got your otters, and they eat the fish. What eats a fish, it's not a trick question."
"An otter."
"No."
"People?"
"What!?"
"People. People eat fish."
"People, no. What eats a fish?"
"The kingfisher."
"No. I'll give you a clue. It begins with... a 'C'."
"I can't think of any animals that begin with a 'C'."
"What eats a fish?"
"Is it a bird?"
"That's it. What did you say?"
"A seagull."
"It's like a seagull."
"An albatross?"
"No no no, an albatross doesn't begin with a 'C'."
"A cormorant?"
"That's it! A cormorant."
"Right."
"What is a cormorant?"
"It's like a guillemot. It... nests in cliffs."
"What eats a fish?"
"A cormorant?"
"That's it!... what do you call it?"
"A cormorant."
"... a cormorant..."