Natural construction site / The otter

The otter

During the 19th century, the otter was dispersed along the most of the water courses. Later, trapping and hunt will be encouraged by the local authorities, persuaded the otter is "a terrible fish pillager".

Capture premiums since the end of the 19th century 'till the fifties contribute heavily to decimate the otter populations. Despite the integral protection since the end of the seventies and the supersession of the premiums, the otter populations continue to regress. Another cause of their regression is water pollution, degradation of their habitats, route accidents.

In our region, the species is near to his extinction but the hydrographic network of the project's perimeter (Our, Ourthe, Sûre,...) could form an important migration corridor for the otter populations actually  expanding in northern and southern Europe.

This transborder Life-Nature project adopts this dynamic which tend to preserve and restore the otter habitats.