Eurasian otters preying on fish farms create conflict between conservation and commercial interests. Welfare-positive deterrent strategies can protect both otters and fish stocks.
The conflict between otters and fish farmers creates pressure for illegal persecution — poisoning, trapping, and shooting — that causes direct welfare harm to individually protected animals. Otters that access fish farms may be exposed to concentrated chemical treatments, nets, and other hazards. Stressed fish in high-density farm ponds represent a welfare concern in their own right. Practical deterrent solutions — proper fencing, pond covers, guardian systems — resolve the conflict without harming either species. Compensation schemes and fencing grants reduce the economic pressure that drives illegal actions. A landscape-scale approach to otter population management, through habitat improvement and connectivity, diffuses pressure on individual farms.