Conflict between spotted-necked otters and fishermen in Hlan River, Benin

The spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis) is believed to be declining across its range and, in Benin, has recently been listed as endangered. In Benin, the spotted-necked otter is largely restricted to the south of the country, where it is threatened by a number of factors, including conflict with fishermen. Understanding the nature and extent of this conflict, and the impact that it has on local fishermen, as well as identifying feasible mitigation strategies, represents a critical challenge for conservation managers.This study documents otter damage experienced by 30 fishermen in the Hlan River, in the Southern Benin wetlands. We performed hierarchical classification analysis using Ward distances to categorize fish species according to the level of otter damage suffered, and used generalized linear models to identify predictors that best explained otter damage. Our results suggest that of the 16 fish species commonly caught by fishermen in the Hlan River, otters favored the most valuable species (but these were also the most abundant in the catch). However, although otter damage was extensive, monthly total income loss attributable to spotted-necked otter damage (including fish loss and damage to equipment) was estimated at only 9% per fishermen (considerably lower than the 30% reported by a preliminary survey of 163 fishermen in the same area). Our model showed that otter damage increased significantly with the number of adult fish captured by fisherman while the cost of otter damage increased with the length of time that the fishing equipment was left unattended. We suggest that otter damage could be reduced if fishing equipment were checked at least twice a day by fishermen, and recommend a maximum interval between checks of 700 min (12 h). Long-term sustainable management of these conflicts will require an integrated approach taking into account socio-economic, political and environmental dimensions.