Kinmen hosts otter conservation symposium

金門舉辦水獺保育研討會

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An international symposium on otter conservation was held Sunday in Kinmen, drawing attention to the region as Taiwan’s only stable habitat for Eurasian otters.

Sponsored by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, the Kinmen County Government, and several environmental groups, the event focused on balancing ecotourism with wildlife conservation efforts, per CNA.

Biologists at the symposium proposed new regulations to protect the otter population while ensuring the public receives accurate information about the species and its habitat.

Yuan Shou-li (袁守立), a researcher at the Formosan Wild Sound Conservation Science Center, said Kinmen’s Eurasian otter population continues to face challenges, including population decline and overconcentration on the eastern peninsula, despite remaining Taiwan’s only stable population.

Yuan said the Kinmen County Government’s recent promotion of otters as a tourism attraction has also increased pressure on the animals. Some tour operators bring visitors to otter habitats at night to observe their activities, disrupting their natural behavior.

He said he supports ecotourism in principle but noted that some tour guides lack professional knowledge, including selecting inappropriate times and locations for otter observation. He added that some guides use bright lights or create noise in otter habitats, further disturbing the animals.

“This actually disturbs the otters’ lives and prevents tourists from seeing them,” Yuan said.

Yuan urged the county government to establish a professional training and certification system for otter ecotourism guides, improve public education on otter ecology, and create conservation exhibition venues showcasing research and images of the species, per CNA.

“Observing wild otters is a rare opportunity,” Yuan said. “Even if visitors do not see otters in person, there should still be exhibits that make the trip worthwhile.”

He also warned against treating otters merely as tourism mascots, saying investments in training and educational facilities could strengthen local conservation awareness. Yuan said such efforts would encourage the public to support habitat protection when development conflicts arise.

Yuan said the county government should recognize the Eurasian otter as one of Kinmen’s most important tourism and ecological resources and take stronger conservation measures, including habitat restoration, water resource management, and protection efforts beyond the animals’ core habitats.

Deputy Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Hsiang-lin (陳祥麟), who attended the symposium, said implementing an ecotourism certification system was worth pursuing and emphasized the importance of reducing disturbances to otters.

Chen said the county government would coordinate with tourism authorities and related agencies to gradually establish a certification system in cooperation with local conservation groups.

He added that previous proposals for an otter enclosure had been canceled for various reasons. Instead, current plans focus on using existing facilities and incorporating interactive technologies such as augmented reality exhibits to help the public learn more about otters.