INTERNATIONAL OTTER SURVIVAL FUND 7 Black Park Broadford Isle of Skye IV49 9DE Tel/FAX: ++1471 822 487 www.otter.org

PRESS RELEASE 2016 – THE YEAR OF THE OTTER The International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) is launching 2016 as the Year of the Otter.

IOSF was set up in 1993 to protect and help the 13 species of otter worldwide, through a combination of compassion and science. Of these 13 species, 12 are declining in number and IOSF is now at the frontier of otter conservation, particularly in Africa and Asia.

In July 2015 IOSF organised a training workshop at the Mweka College of Wildlife Management in Tanzania with participants from ten sub-Saharan countries. Dr Paul Yoxon, IOSF’s Head of Operations, said “So little is known about otters in Africa that a lecturer at the College told us ‘We don’t have otters in Africa’, even though they have four species. The workshop was a great success and we now have an African Otter Network and new information is already coming in.”

The situation is particularly serious in Asia, where otter populations are in sharp decline, along with their wetland habitats, and one of the main reasons is lack of awareness. This then leads to a lack of available funding for research, education and conservation.

Otters are one of Asia’s most overlooked medium-sized mammals and yet they are at the forefront of the illegal wildlife trade together with tigers and leopards – for every tiger skin found there are at least 10 otter skins and one haul in Lhasa found 778 otter skins. In some parts of Asia, otters (particularly Asian small-clawed otters) are taken from the wild for the pet trade and many of these are kept in terrible conditions and die. This trade is seriously threatening the survival of otters and in some areas they have become locally extinct.

Trafficking in otters for furs, body parts and pets is rarely discussed in Asia, and yet the scale is most alarming and is having a serious effect on populations and local ecosystems. Apart from in more arid provinces, China’s otter population used to be widespread but now they are found in only 15 of the 35 divisions and they are rare in 9 of these. In the Changbaishan Mountain Nature Reserve they have declined by 99%. So next year IOSF will venture into China for a workshop aimed at rangers and government officials to combat the illegal trade in otter skins and to champion otter conservation.

IOSF have already organised similar training workshops in Cambodia,

Indonesia, Bangladesh but this is a first for China. The workshop will be held at Chimelong National Park and this has already been approved by the Board of the Park and has the financial support of the Danish

Aage V Jensen Charity Foundation.

Workshop participants will already know the links between illegal trade and poverty. In addition to global threats to wildlife (habitat loss, pollution, climate change, etc) otters also face conflict with fishermen as they can take fish and damage nets - expensive losses to a poor family dependent on

fishing. If people can earn a substantial amount by selling the animal it is a great incentive, especially as it also removes this competition. It is therefore important for trained people to help resolve conflicts and if necessary encourage other otter-friendly livelihoods. Emphasis will be on working with communities to help them understand the precarious position of otters and develop alternative livelihoods in return for banning otter hunting and trade.

IOSF already has country networks in many Asian countries which link together as the Asian Otter Conservation Network.

This enables people to exchange information and education material

through cross-border co-operation. This also helps in the interception of smugglers and their prosecution and the development of wildlife-friendly community economies. This Chinese Otter Network will form a launchpad of collaboration throughout the country and encourage work within communities and co-operation in conservation and law enforcement.

Prof Padma de Silva, from Sri Lanka is Chair of the Asian Otter Conservation Network, and she said “This is a really exciting project for us and will draw a lot of awareness to the precarious state of otters in China. The Board at Chimelong have been very supportive and are keen to develop a long-lasting education programme on otters in their park.

This will lead to more active

conservation of otters and their wetland habitats.”

ENDS 30 December 2015 For further information contact [email protected], 01471 822 487

PHOTOS: The photo is available in high resolution and further images are also available. Just contact [email protected]

NOTE FOR EDITORS:

The IOSF welcomes questions and interviews, as well as requests for images.

Selection of images**, for downloading, at: http://tinyurl.com/IOSFimages. **please credit accordingly, thank you.

IOSF website: www.otter.org

Grace Yoxon was presented with the IFAW Animal Action Award for Conservation in 2012. The IOSF was Wildlife Conservation Award Winner, British Animal Honours 2013.

Paul Yoxon has worked on my TV and radio programmes including Wildlife on One, The One Show, Animal Hospital and Blue Peter.

Both Grace and Paul have both had many books and articles published. The latest to this list is Otters of the World - The first book providing spectacular photographs and an insight into the lives and behaviour of ALL 13 species of otters. Available direct from the IOSF Ottershop, at www.ottershop.co.uk

IOSF is an international fund set up to conserve otters worldwide and is organised by SEC Ltd solely for this purpose.

Wildlife Conservation Award Winner, British Animal Honours 2013

IFAW Animal Action Award Winner 2012

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Patron: Julian Pettifer. Joint Presidents: Laurence Broderick, Dennis Furnell. Head of Operations: Dr Paul Yoxon IOSF is an international fund set up to conserve otters worldwide and is organised by SEC Ltd solely for this purpose. Reg No 109031. Charity No SC003875