Marine otter catching large prey.

Information from a previous project supported by The Rufford Small Grants Foundation allowed estimation of just 35 marine otters in the Paracas National Reserve, which confirmed the critical status of de species in the Peru’s most important protected marine area. Some key locations were identified for their potential to inflict high pressure from human activities on the marine otter population, and a decision was made to focus the work on reversing this situation.

Understanding the dynamics of otter behaviour in human impacted areas and to work with human groups involved would lead to improving the conservation status of this and other groups of marine otters in the study area. By carrying out this project we expect to call the attention of governmental offices, other conservation groups and local fishermen and tourists at both the local and national level to take further actions to preserve viable the population of the most endangered marine mammal along the Peruvian coast. This study can be used as an example for concrete conservation measures along the Peruvian coast with similar threats to otter groups.