Otters cause losses at fish farms but are legally protected. Coexistence solutions that protect stock without harming otters are both legally required and achievable.
Otters visiting fish farms are following natural foraging behaviour in areas where prey density is artificially elevated. Lethal control is illegal and ecologically counterproductive. Electric fencing around ponds and cages, combined with pond covers, provides effective and welfare-neutral exclusion. Otters killed illegally in fish farm conflicts cause population damage in areas where otter density is still recovering. The Otter Trust and Environment Agency provide advisory support for fish farm otter management, and licensing frameworks exist for temporary cage trapping and relocation where non-lethal methods fail.