Volume 2 Pages 1 - 58 (March 1987)

Citation: Madsen. A.B.. (1987) Otter News from Denmark. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 2: 45

Previous | Contents | Next

Otter News from Denmark

Aksel B. Madsen

Foreningen til Dyrenes Beskyttelse i Danmark, Alhambravej 18, 1826 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

The national survey of otters, which began in November 1984 using the British survey method, was completed in May 1986. In brief, of 1154 sites visited signs of otter were found in on.ly 106 (9.2%), mostly in the north-west region of Jutland.

In continuation of the report "Otters and Fishtraps", all interested fishermen in Denmark can obtain a 'stopgrid' - a rigid square steel 85 mm bar length grid fitted to the inner end of the first fyke funnel - without charge from "PROJECT OTTER". A small publication on 14 Danish hobby fishermen's experiences from the autumn 1986 with this 'stopgrid' is now in preparation. The Ministry of Fishery now orders that all fishermen in one of the best otter areas in Denmark - River Hvidbjerg - must use a 'stopgrid' or a 'stopnet' in the fishtraps. To protect the otter the Ministry of Environment has now declared that the whole water shed of River Hvidbjerg will be preserved.

Investigations of organochlorine concentrations in muscle tissues from 8 Danish otters have been carried out in cooperation with Mats Olsson and Lars Reuthergardh, Sweden. The concentrations of PCB, DDT, dieldrin and HCB are low.

The German video "PROJECT OTTER - inquiries about the life of a threatened species" has been shown on the Danish television, and in this connection a talk about the Danish "PROJECT OTTER" was given.

The Natural History Museum, Aarhus received 11 dead otters In 1986 - 2 were drowned in fishtraps, 4 were killed by traffic and 5 were found dead.

Previous | Contents | Next