OTTERS SWIM BACK........
OTTERS are flourishing in Britains rivers once again, thanks to the success of a £1.5million conservation scheme. The mammal was almost wiped out 20 years ago by a combination of pollution and the destruction of their natural habitats but a report just published reveals that otters have now returned to many parts of the countryside where they have been absent for decades. Rivers in Norfolk and Warwickshire which were previously considered "dead" now have otter populations, and one of the animals was recently spotted in Poole Harbour, Dorset, for the first time in 20 years.
The Otters and Rivers Project, run by Water UK and The Wildlife Trusts, spent £700,000 last year cleaning up waterways and improving riverbank habitats and is spending a similar amount this year.
The Government has set a target of restoring otters to all rivers in the country by the year 2010. Environment minister Michael Meacher said: "I am delighted to learn that the otter is now returning to areas where it has not been seen for 25 years. I am sure that the strong partnership involved in the Water UK and Wildlife Trusts' "Otters and Rivers Project," with its emphasis on practical habitat improvement measures and natural recolonisation, will ensure this progress is maintained." Pamela Taylor, chief executive of Water UK, said: "The otter is the best indicator of the good job we're doing in tackling environmental issues, and growing evidence of their return is living proof of our success in improving water quality."
Earlier this year the National Trust announced that otters had returned to Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, after an absence of 60 years.
The Otters and Rivers Project is not actively introducing animals into new areas, but concentrating on improving habitats and water quality. A spokeswoman for The Wildlife Trusts said: "Otters travel distances of up to 25 miles on a hunting trip. If we can create a suitable environment around any particular river then it is not long before the existing otters in the wild come across it."
Because otters are at the top of the food chain, the project to improve their riverbank habitat is expected to benefit other wildlife, including water voles, dragonfly and birds such as snipe and lapwing. Director general of The Wildlife Trusts, Simon Lyster, said: "Otters are fantastic indicators of the health of our rivers and waterways and so their success spells good news for other species too."
However, the return of the otter to its traditional habitat is not being welcomed by Britains anglers, especially carp fishermen. Owners of some carp lakes have seen stocks wiped out overnight by otters returning to areas of the countryside where they have not been seen for years. The report by the Otters and Rivers Project recommends measures anglers can take to protect carp lakes from otters.
WILDLIFE MAKING A COMEBACK......
Conservationists have notched up a number of successes in encouraging threatened species to return to the wild.
The nocturnal Pine Marten, twice the size of a ferret, is Britains rarest mammal and was almost wiped out by trappers. Changes in trap design and laws have seen them gradually reappear in remote areas.
Polecats were pushed back to isolated areas of Wales in the 1880s because they were poisoned by gamekeepers. Now increasing numbers are being found in the west of England.
Today the first of 19 choughs, once common in Cornwall, will be released back into the wild after an absence of 30 years.
Wildlife Trusts have also reintroduced the dormouse to areas of England where they had almost vanished......
WILDLIFE TRUST (local)
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31/03/01
