Otters are Back in Business

IUCN Otter Specialist Group Press Release 21st September 2006

If it is happening in the otter world and it's important, it will be on the otter web!

“Pollution threat to Otters”, “Otter numbers continue to decline” “Oil spill threatens important otter populations” “Orphaned otter cubs successfully released”

These are just a few of the types of headlines that have appeared in the past regarding the fate and future of the world’s otter populations. But where can you find accurate information of what is actually happening to the 15 different otter species, where can you readily contact the relevant expert, who can you speak with in Canada, Korea, Spain . . . ?

The IUCN Otter Specialist Group (OSG) has just provided the very resource with the relaunch today of its web site.

Speaking of the launch of the new web, Dr. Jim Conroy, the Chairman of the IUCN OSG said, “The reappearance of the OSG Website means that once again people interested in otters can find an important source of information. Not only will it be a means of disseminating information to those working on these charismatic species, it will also be a source of information for the wider general public. However, I see a new and important role of our web site - the ability, through these Press Releases, to keep people well informed about ongoing events that might affect otters, such as the effect of an oil spill. ”

In addition to giving the usual back ground information on the world’s otters, it will also keep interested parties up to date with news items - such as the current Alert: Unexplained Sea Otter Die-Off in Alaska.

The OSG web will be the channel to advertise the meetings and conferences held every year, to reach the wider community. It will also give up to date information on published works on the various species and where copies of these might be obtained.

In addition the web page will be the home of OSG’s own bulletin where members and others are encouraged to publish the results of their own studies etc. Many past copies of the Bulletin are currently available on the site, and there is an ongoing project to digitize the rest.