Eurasian otter populations have recovered dramatically following bans on organochlorine pesticides, but otters still face serious welfare threats from road traffic, fish traps, and water pollution.
The otter recovery story is one of conservation and welfare success, demonstrating that targeted action — specifically pesticide bans — can reverse population declines and restore animal welfare at landscape scale. The remaining threats to otters are structurally similar to their past: human activities that intersect fatally with otter ecology. Road mortality at river crossing points is preventable through otter passages — tunnels and ledges under road bridges that allow otters to cross without going on the road. Accidental trapping in fyke nets is preventable through mandatory otter guard fittings. The welfare and conservation case for these low-cost interventions is strong, and where they have been implemented, otter mortality from these causes has declined significantly.