Otter related question

[JennyS]

Not sure whether this should be in the mammal forum, but as it relates to fish and ponds I've put it here ....

I've got a large, semi natural pond / small lake and am lucky enough to get visited by otters. Downside is I've no fish left!

As I'm having to do a mega pond refurbishment I want to make some safe spaces where the fish can hide - pipes and rock piles etc.

Question is what diameter is an otters head?

[The Woodman]

Hi Jenny

I have experience of Otter fencing and have used commercially available badger wire from Tornado that has 8cm wide gaps.

Badger fencing - road and rail, exclusion and embankments

To date no Otter has got through it. The Highways Agency has installed square metal mesh on fences where Otters pass under trunk roads on river crossings to prevent them reaching the carriageway and this is slightly smaller.

Depending on the size and depth of your pond you might consider some sunken metal mesh boxes, similar to the construction industries Gabion baskets but smaller that will allow fish in but nor Otters.