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Otter flood: Carinthia's waters in crisis - interventions necessary!
LHStv. Gruber provides information about the increase in the otter population in Carinthia and the necessary measures to control the damage.
Otter flood: Carinthia's waters in crisis - interventions necessary!
In Carinthia, the discussion about the protection and hunting of the otter is becoming more and more intense. The population of this protected species has grown significantly, causing significant damage to fish stocks and aquaculture. According to current data, the number of otters rose to around 383 in 2022 and has now increased to around 506 animals. This resulted in annual growth of 6.6 percent, despite ongoing hunting measures gailtal-journal.at reported. The annual financial damage caused by the animals amounts to around 200,000 euros, which further exacerbates the situation.
New regulations for otter hunting
Gruber notes that without this measure there would be fear of an aggressive spread of the otters, as the animals have no natural enemies in the region. New to the regulation is the obligation to check live traps at least twice a day in order to minimize the suffering of the caught animals. Experts are already seeing initial positive effects, but a sustainable recovery of fish stocks is considered difficult and will probably take many years. Gruber maintains that animal welfare should not be neglected when dealing with the otter, but selective hunting remains essential for the protection of local waters and fish populations.