BASC: Otters to get new homes on Cheshire riverbanks

Tuesday, 22 December 2009 12:00 AM

Cheshire's otter population will be given a welcome boost in the new year, thanks to a training event being organised by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT).

Conservationists and land managers will learn how to build new homes for otters at the event, which is being funded by Chester Zoo, Shell UK, BASC and CWT, and will educate land managers on otter ecology and how to build artificial otter holts on their land.

BASC's Cheshire biodiversity officer, Ben Gregory, said: "The event will not only train land managers on how to spot otters but we will also utilise the workforce on the day to build two artificial otter holts on land near Chester. This will give a huge boost to the local otter population as natural holt building material is pretty scarce along this section of the River Gowy."

Recent surveys carried out by BASC's Green Shoots project and CWT have discovered otter spraints on some of the bridges crossing the River Gowy which shows that otters have a strong presence there.

Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership (CrBP) coordinator, Sarah Bennett, said: "This is a great example of organisations working together for the benefit of wildlife. By pooling resources, the day will create two holts and encourage local land managers to record sightings of otters and manage their sites for the benefit of otters."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

. BASC's Green Shoots programme is a unique collaboration between people who manage land for shooting and other conservation groups. It allows access to land used for shooting for survey and management work designed to meet Cheshire's biodiversity targets to improve the range and diversity of plants, animals, birds and insects.

. Road casualties and pesticides are amongst a long list of factors, which have contributed to the otters' demise over the years, and although Cheshire has a wealth of waterways, the otter population is still lower than would be expected. The species is currently listed in the International Union for the Conservation of Natures' (IUCN) Red Book as 'vulnerable to extinction'.

. For more information please contact the BASC press office on 01244 573031.

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