Welcoming the Otter Back to Surrey

Surrey Wildlife Trust and Blackwater Valley Conservation Partnership propose a detailed three year project to welcome back the otter to Surrey.

The objectives: to assist the re-establishment of otters in Surrey, enthuse and educate the local community and work with riparian owners in the area.

Actions: carry out a modified Phase 1 habitat survey to identify precise conservation management, provide suitable otter habitat, contact riparian habitat landowners to advise on conservation matters, manage riverside habitat along 30kms/450 hectares of the Blackwater Valley.

We will ensure that suitable habitat is provided by identifying potential hazards to otter survival and carry out mitigation wherever possible eg. by installing approx. 16kms of otter fencing alongside roads/railways.

We will ensure good communication by visiting fisheries, angling clubs and carrying our surveys and suggesting mitigation measures, by publicising the work of the project, by working with local communities