OTTERS AS FLAGSHIPS: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

Otters have served as flagship species to raise awareness for conservation of aquatic ecosystems in many areas, and the IUCN Otter Specialist Group has recommended increasing such usage of the world's 13 otter species. However, success with using one of a group of species as a flagship in some areas will not necessarily translate to conservation successes in other areas. Consideration must be taken to ensure that flagship species will not engender ambivalence or ill-will among those whose support is sought. The target audience's knowledge of, associations with, and attitudes toward the species, as well as the species' visibility, must be considered when choosing a flagship. We discuss the potential of otters to be used as flagship species in new areas, as well as methods for determining a species' appropriateness as a flagship. The IUCN Otter Specialist Group and participants of the IX th International Otter Colloquium recommended using otter species as flagships to promote conservation in Latin and North America (IUCN Otter Specialist Group 2004). In Europe, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is already widely considered a flagship species (White et al., 1997; Bifolchi and Lode 2005; Kruuk 2006), and the biodiversity action plans of many local governments and organizations include the use of otters as flagship species to promote protection of wetland/riparian habitats (Brecon Beacons NP Local BAP Steering Group, 2002; Jeeves et al., 2002, Devon Biodiversity Partnership, 2005; Sussex Biodiversity Partnership, 2005). The Eurasian otter also was one of the top 10 species used in fundraising advertisements in BBC Wildlife (a wildlife and conservation monthly published in the United Kingdom) (Leader-Williams and Dublin, 2000). However, success with using one of a group of species as a flagship in some areas does not necessarily translate to success in others. Herein we discuss considerations for using otters as flagship species.