Flood of otter: Carinthia's waters in the crisis-interventions necessary!

Flood of otter: Carinthia's waters in the crisis-interventions necessary!

Kärnten, Österreich - In Carinthia, the discussion about the protection and hunting of the otter is becoming increasingly intensive. The population of this protected species has grown greatly, which has led to considerable damage to fish stocks and in aquaculture. According to current data, the number of oters rose to approx. 383 in 2022 and has now increased to around 506 animals. This brought with it annual growth of 6.6 percent, despite the ongoing hunting measures, such as gailtal-journal.at . The annual financial damage caused by the animals, amounts to around 200,000 euros, which also tightens the situation.

New regulations for the

ktnvp.at reported.

Gruber states that without this measure, an aggressive spread of the otter would be feared, since the animals have no natural enemies in the region. New in the regulation is the obligation to check live traps at least twice a day to minimize the suffering of the captured animals. Experts already see the first positive effects, but sustainable recovery in fish stocks is assessed as difficult and is expected to take many years. Gruber remains that animal protection must not be neglected even when dealing with the otter, but the selective hunting remains essential for the protection of domestic waters and fish populations.