Otters as Flagships: Social and Cultural Considerations

Otters have served as flagship species to raise awareness for conservation of aquatic ecosystems in many areas, and the IUCN Otter Specialist Group has recommended increasing such usage of the world’s 13 otter species. However, success with using one of a group of species as a flagship in some areas will not necessarily translate to conservation successes in other areas. Consideration must be taken to ensure that flagship species will not engender ambivalence or ill-will among those whose support is sought. The target audience’s knowledge of, associations with, and attitudes toward the species, as well as the species’ visibility, must be considered when choosing a flagship. We discuss the potential of otters to be used as flagship species in new areas, as well as methods for determining a species’ appropriateness as a flagship.