Management Plan for the Otter (Lutra lutra) in Denmark

In spite of the total protection of otters species since 1967 a survey in 1986 showed that there were only few hundred animals left. Recent surveys of the distribution of the otter indicates that the population has stabilised and in some core areas even increased in number. The Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy has developed an Otter Management Plan to gain the necessary knowledge and to establish comprehensive guidelines for the protection and consolidation of the Danish otter population and its habitats. This is summarised in this paper.