Otters - Charm or harm?

Matt Binfield, British Wildlife Centre

The Guildford Magazine - November

Otters are back after 40 years in November's Guildford Magazine

This month's article 'The Otter Sphere' highlights the recent reappearance of the otter in Surrey after an absence of more than 40 years. Yet is the otter a welcome return to our waterways? Concerned reader Adrian Orchard asks whether the otter really is a change for the better to our local landscape...

Thanks for your response to our article Adrian. This is a concern that we would like to explore amongst our readers. You write as a keen amateur fisherman and supporter of our British countryside?

I fish the River Wey and also the rivers Kennet, Stour, Loddon, Mole and Thames. I love all these rivers and have concerns regarding the threats they face.

Adrian, the article highlights the unusual fact that an otter family has settled, by its own accord, in the county for the first time in over 40 years. There has been no human intervention with this particular otter family’s arrival.

I think the journalist who wrote the article is missing my point. There have been reintroduction programmes in the UK and otters do not respect county boundaries and they do breed.

I understand that but there are potential implications [of their presence here] and I'm worried about them. Your article suggests all is well with this when it might very well not be.

Are you saying that you do not support the otter back in our rivers?

This is not a good question! I would support the otter back in our rivers if this had all been thought through and the public knew the potential down sides. However, I don't recall much air-time given to this. The view has been put across that otters are fluffy and appealing, and fish...er, who cares?

Ideally, I would have liked to see so many of our other problems on our rivers addressed before jumping to introducing an apex predator back to an environment which has changed from the time it was last around in any numbers and is now not really at its best to support such a magnificent creature.

I quote directly from The Environment Agency:

"The Otter Trust released 117 captive-bred otters between 1983 and 1999, mostly on East Anglian rivers, but with some elsewhere. Their last release was of 17 otters on the upper Thames catchment over a six-month period in 1999.

The Vincent Wildlife Trust released a further 49 rehabilitated animals (i.e. orphaned and injured wild otters kept in captivity until fit for release) between 1990 and 1996, many of these as part of a release programme in Yorkshire."

My point is that even The Environment Agency recognise that otters are not all good news.

Further quote:

"The recovery of otters in the UK is impacting inland fisheries through predation."

I just think the public should be aware that whilst the sight of otters on the River Wey might be exciting for them it can, and has, come at a heavy cost to others elsewhere.

Are you a member of the The Predator Action Group?

No, I'm not a member and not sure what I could do that would help above raising my concerns when I see the issues reported in the media regarding how the public perceive this situation. Farmers are allowed to shoot foxes on their land if they interfere with their live stock, yet fisheries owners are not afforded the same protection from otters under the current law. Perhaps this needs to change?

Otters are not the only threat. Other invasive species, the American Signal Crayfish and Chinese Mitten Crabs (in the case of the Thames) have displaced species such as Cormorants and Mink as well as illegal poaching sometimes but not always by immigrants who don't understand our rules for fishing and taking fish for the table. Compound this with increased water abstraction in the South East due to our growing population and things aren't so rosy and may not be for the otter in the future either.

Whilst I appreciate fish aren't as easy to sell into the public affection they do deserve more air-time if all wild life is to benefit.

What do you feel about the return of otters to Surrey? Email us at web@sheengate.co.uk