Asian Small-Clawed Otter Husbandry Manual (1998)

Legal StatusThe Eurasian otter and the Asian small-clawed otter were listed in the protected animal list (class II) bythe Commission for Environmental Protection, the State Council in July 1987.Threats1. Habitat alteration due to logging and resulting siltation damaging the streams and wetland habitats ofotters.2. Large-scale water pollution is causing the loss of fish and contamination of the otters' food sources.3. Otters are hunted for their furs, a valuable monetary resource, especially in Guangdong Province,but also in Sichuan,' Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangzi Provinces and throughout the otters' range. Underthe China Wildlife Act of November 1988, otters cannot be hunted without permission from theprovincial department of forestry.4. Otters are hunted for their livers, which are thought to have medicinal value.Conservation Priorities1. Overall surveys of otters and their habitats are necessary in order to assess the status of otters, thereasons for their decline, and to identify particular wetlands of importance in their conservation.2. The habitat of otters needs protection throughout China.3. Existing protected areas that already contain otters need to be more intensively patrolled andscientifically managed. New otter reserves need to be developed and similarly protected.4. In-depth studies need to be carried out on the otter species in China.5. Public education needs to be initiated and a non-profit, non-governmental organization needs to beestablished to protect otters and their habitats.Hong KongSpecies PresentAsian small-clawed otter (?), Eurasian otterStatus and DistributionThe Eurasian otter was formerly present in the northwest New Territories on the shores of Deep Bay.It has been largely absent for the past 30 years apart from a single individual present at the WWF-HongKong Mai Po Nature Center during early 1986. The Asian small-clawed otter probably once occurredin Hong Kong, but there are no recent records of its presence.Legal StatusOtters are fully protected under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Cap. 170. Trade in otters iscontrolled under the Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance, Cap. 187,which is the enabling legislation for CITES in Hong Kong.ThreatsAsian Small-Clawed Otter Husbandry Manual/Action Plan69