6. Restore otters to the Stort

Theme: Habitats and wildlife

Project description

The aim of this project is to encourage otters to come back to the Stort!

Otters are currently absent from the Stort for two main reasons – the negative attitude of some angling groups and a lack of holts and havens.

This project aims to establish a number of sheltered, undisturbed ‘havens’ with willing landowners, and the construction of two holts in private locations in 2013 and 2015.  Pre-existing holt designs from the Environment Agency would be used, and the possibility of including a camera inside one for monitoring purposes would be explored.

Anglers would be liaised with through existing mink raft contacts.

Various 'otter access' measures would be implemented, such as the installation of otter shelves in locks.

 

Project lead: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust; Bishop Stortford Natural History Society

Project partners: Local volunteers, Environment Agency

Project start: 2013

Project end: 2015

Contact for more information: Bob Reed