European Otter Workshop: Research Advances and Otter Conservation in Europe

The workshop was attended by 110 delegates from 19 European countries and 2 from Israel, over three days. The first session was devoted to distribution, GIS modeling, habitat suitability and restoration; the second covered Genetics and conservation; the thrid was on home range, population dynamics and diet; and the fourth was about threats and conflicts. There was a round table focussing on the status and conservation of otters in Italy: identifying the topics and tasks necessary for the production on for a national action plan for otters. The species in Italy is critically endangered, the only viable population being found in the southern regions (Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia). The recent discovery of a fragmented population in Molise. The event also included a meeting of the European IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group. Proceedings will be published in Hystrix.