IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group

Volume 9 Pages 1 - 16 (March 1994)

Sixth International Otter Symposium
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The quadrennial meeting of the IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group and the Sixth International Otter Symposium were held in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa during September 1993, The symposium was attended by 60 delegates representing 22 countries.

The first day (6 September) was devoted to the Otter Specialist Group meeting. This was followed by three days of verbal and video presentations, as well as poster sessions.  On the last day delegates visited portion of the Natal Drakensberg Park where two otter species (Aonyx capensis and Lutra maculicollis) co-exist in a protected wetland.

The theme of the symposium was "Otter conservation is not just about otters". Subjects covered by the 38 verbal presentations, three videos, and 14 posters were distribution and status, conservation of species and habitats, conservation education and public awareness, socio-economic issues, biology and behaviour, captive breeding, genetics, and mortality and pollution. The region from which most contributions carne was Europe, closely followed by Africa, with roughly equal representation from Asia, North America, and South America.

The proceedings will be published by Aktion Fischotterschutz of Germany. It should be possible to include an announcement in the next OSG Bulletin, indicating approximately when the publication will be ready.

Asian Otter Group Fund

Padma do Silva, Co-ordinator for Asia, expresses her gratitude to the participants at the Sixth International Otter Symposium for their donations towards the Asian Group's postage fund. In particular, she thanks Paul Polechla of Alaska and Arno Gutleb of Austria for their efforts in arranging the collection of funds.

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