The Virtues and Liabilities of Using Otters as Flagships for Aquatic Conservation

A “flagship” is defined as a species that possesses charismatic qualities that can promote conservation awareness and facilitate conservation action. Flagship species are likened to wildlife icons, specifically within the... [ view full abstract ]

A “flagship” is defined as a species that possesses charismatic qualities that can promote conservation awareness and facilitate conservation action. Flagship species are likened to wildlife icons, specifically within the ecotourism industry, and often have high positive public profiles. For a species to be an effective flagship of their local environment, the perceptions and attitudes of local stakeholders and visiting tourists towards that species must be positive. A charismatic species that receives support from far-removed stakeholders but engenders local ambivalent attitudes may not serve as an effective flagship species for stimulating local conservation efforts. The world’s 13 species of otters are distributed among 5 continents, are dependent on aquatic environments, and several of these species are known to be popular with the public and important to local ecotourism industries. However, predation of fish by otters is sometimes viewed by anglers in local communities as detrimental to the fish populations and thus a threat to their livelihood.  In fact, conflict between otters and recreational anglers is becoming a substantial conservation concern for recovering populations in Europe, but is also becoming an increasing topic with other otter species in other regions of the world.  Further, negative interactions of otters by fish-rearing industries can also promote negative attitudes, and contribute to an “adversarial flagship.”  Speakers in this session will examine the overall value and concerns of otters to serve as flagships (“Ambassadors for Aquatic Conservation”) by reviewing the criteria necessary for a species to serve as an effective flagship and critically assess these criteria within the context of otters serving as flagships to promote aquatic conservation.  Examples will be used from all 13 otter species, some of which are already serving as flagships, and some species that have not been recognized for such purpose but seemingly possess qualities of a flagship, and circumstances where otter conflicts with humans may hinder further development of otters as flagships.  Speakers are experts in otter conservation versed with all the world’s otter species.