LISTEN: Firm evidence of otters at Cromarty Firth development
Otters leave their mark around Port of Cromarty Firth Phase Three development
Evidence of otters has been found during an ecology walk around the Port of Cromarty Firth to assess how the population had been affected following development of the new Berth at the Invergordon Service Base.
When trying to find signs of a species that spends much of its time under water, the best method of determining their activity is to look for their spraints (or faeces).
Several examples of otter spraints were found by James Cusiter, the Port of Cromarty Firth’s Environmental Co-ordinator, on the rock armour surrounding Berth Five, a clear sign that the otters have started to use the Phase Three Development.
Otters are a European protected species and therefore, as part of its environmental responsibilities, the Port of Cromarty Firth monitors the population in the Firth and identifies any impacts on it.
James Cusiter was appointed in September 2015 as the Port of Cromarty Firth’s first environmental co-ordinator. He is responsible for the Port’s environmental duties, including the conservation of the special marine environment within the Cromarty Firth.
His role includes the specially protected areas for the resident population of bottlenose dolphins, over 30,000 wintering birds, 300 harbour seals and 10,000 Scottish salmon and their smolts.
ABOVE: What an otter cub looks like.