Otter in Lower Austria

The Waldviertel Ecological Station supports the province of Lower Austria in the conflict between the good population density of otters and pond management by providing advice, checking the plausibility of the data and carrying out the professional erection of fences.

Ein Fischotter auf einem Stein hinter einem Zaun.
© BAW/Peham

Brief description

Thanks to conservation efforts, the otter population in Austria has recovered in recent years. A study from 2018 estimated the population in Lower Austria at 1000 individuals (Kofler 2018).

However, this population density leads to conflicts with pond management. To counteract this, the province of Lower Austria uses two methods. On the one hand, prevention measures such as fencing are promoted, and on the other hand, compensation payments can be applied for for ponds that cannot be effectively protected according to the current state of the art.

The Waldviertel Ecological Station supports both management methods by providing advice, checking the plausibility of information and implementation. Advice videos on the professional construction of fences have been produced for interested parties: Video Otter fence

Video Otter Fence

 

Additional information