From the status of a pest to a protected species: the otter in Belgium from the end of the 19th century to the present day ; Du statut de nuisible à celui d’espèce protégée : la loutre en Belgique de la fin du 19e siècle à nos jours

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux ; International audience ; Old data suggest that the otter (Lutra lutra ; Linnaeus 1758) used to be a widespread species in Belgium. Hunting fostered by bounties was one of the main causes of its decline. Statistical hunting records published in old fishing reviews show the gravity of these removals within the populations. These old testimonies also show the relentlessness with which the otter was fought at the end of the 19th century and the means used to reach it. In a context of fish stocks restoration, the otter was considered to be a scourge as it was a nuisance t... Mehr ...