WWF challenges Salzburg’s rules for otter killings

Salzburg permits up to 30 otters to be killed each year, with no numerical limit in designated “free zones”. The WWF has criticised the rules and called for stricter controls, ORF reported.

The conservation group says the killings are authorised in advance rather than assessed by authorities on a case-by-case basis. It also says there are insufficient safeguards for females with young.

“State governments are undermining European species protection. They must replace blanket permissions to kill with careful individual assessments,” WWF expert Sarah Stöger said.

The WWF also points to road deaths, saying they are not counted against the permitted quotas. The organisation says this is a concern because otters reproduce slowly.

Otter killings in Salzburg are justified as a way to protect native fish stocks. The WWF instead wants damaged rivers restored and fish ponds better protected from predators.

The WWF estimates that just under 4,000 otters live in Austria. Salzburg’s population was estimated at up to 261 in 2021. Although the species is strictly protected across Europe, several Austrian states allow otters to be killed to protect fish stocks.

Carinthia, Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Salzburg permit a combined total of up to 186 otter killings a year under their quotas. The additional killings allowed in Salzburg’s free zones have no numerical limit.