RESTORATION OF THE OTTER HABITATS IN LUXEMBOURG AND BELGIUM: 5-YEAR ACTIONS IN FAVOUR OF THE EURASIAN OTTER (Lutra lutra)

In 2005, 7 partners including 5 Nature Parks (Haute-Sure, Haute-Sure Foret d’Anlier, Our, Hautes Fagnes-Eifel, Two Ourthes), the Hellef fir d´Natur foundation and the Centre de Recherche Public (Gabriel Lippmann) proposed a LIFE-Nature Project to preserve and restore the habitats of the last otters in Luxembourg and Belgium.This wide and cross-border project aimed to improve the otter’s habitats and try to build or rebuild corridors between the two important otter populations located in France and Germany in order to facilitate the migration of the species and to contribute to re-establish stable otter populations in our countries.To reach these objectives, the following actions were defined:(1) improvement of the natural fish productivity (by the restoration of 6 spawning grounds and the removal of 21 obstacles for fish migration),(2) decrease the impacts related to the presence of cattle alongside rivers (installation of 262 drinking troughs, 61 km of fences, 23 footbridges),(3) promotion of native tree species by the early cutting of spruce forests in floodplains (150 ha),(4) exploitation of the woods while respecting watercourses,(5) stimulation of connections between catchment’s areas by planting the riverbanks with native trees and shrubs (23 km) and the digging of ponds (178),(6) installation of secure passageways under bridges for the otter but also for small mammals (the management of 9 otter passages),(7) creation of nature reserves (105 ha) and otter havens (31) and finally (8) management of invasive plants (189 ha) in the Natura 2000 areas.Public awareness was also an important element of the project with the production of a travelling exhibition and an educational file. Moreover, a network of otter observers composed of volunteers was set up to try to find footprints and spraints in the study area between 2007 and 2010.