10th September 2004

On the otter trail

Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership are celebrating the news that after years of waiting there is evidence of otters in the Blackwater Valley. It was over 45 years ago that otters were last recorded on the River Blackwater and this positive sighting indicates that otters are exploring the River with a view to taking up permanent residence. Unfortunately the good news is tempered by the fact that the otter in question was found dead on a railway line near Frimley.

Otters disappeared from the South-East in the early 70s and in recent years work has been carried out to try and get them to recolonise their former sites. In the past few years they have returned to both the Rivers Thames and Loddon and, as the Blackwater is a tributary of the Loddon, it was only a question of time before otters would find their way into the Blackwater and start moving upstream.

“This is great news,” said Steve Bailey Manager of the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership. “The river was once in a terrible condition and many organisations have put in a lot of hard work over a long period to return it to a state where it now supports an abundance of wildlife. Otters can only survive in a healthy river system, so the fact that an otter has been found in the Valley indicates the river is ‘complete’ once again.”

Chris Matcham, Rivers & Otters Project Officer at Surrey Wildlife Trust believes that the otter was exploring the Blackwater and its environs for suitable resting sites. Its presence indicates that the water quality and fish population of the Blackwater is suitable to sustain otters and there’s every chance that this was not the only one to have explored the Valley area.

Volunteers have already been trained to survey the riverside for signs of otters and this autumn they will check to see if any other animals are using the river. Once their presence is established Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership can target habitat improvement measures along the Valley.

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For further information

Contact: Visitor Promotions Officer on 01252 331353 or e-mail blackwater.valley@hants.gov.uk

NOTES

The Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership (BVCP) is funded by the County, District and Parish Councils along the River Blackwater. It works to promote community action in conservation and recreation and to protect the Valley for the enjoyment and well being of the whole community.