Otters in Saxony: A Story of Successful Conflict Resolution

Abstract

An overview is given about the history of a conflict-laden relationship between Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) and humans in Saxony for more than 100 years. The development of the conflict is described in front of the background of otter persecution, population development, social and economical factors as well as legal instruments in four historical time periods with different societal conditions that framed people’s thoughts and actions. The time period from 1990 up to the presence was specifically investigated as part of the FRAP project. Here we made a detailed analysis of the ecological, economic, legal, and institutional as well as social conditions and elaborate the factors that contributed to successful conflict reconciliation.