Who we are
Photo: Lutra lutra by CharlieHamilton
The Otter Specialist Group (OSG) is one of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s specialist groups.
The OSG is among the SSC groups with the largest membership. We take pride in being a strong and inclusive community, demonstrating a long-term commitment to otter conservation in its broadest sense. Our members represent a wide diversity of ages and backgrounds, including researchers, environmentalists, ecologists, community leaders, toxicologists, zoo professionals, veterinarians, educators and many others. This diversity creates an active forum enriched by multiple perspectives, all united by the shared goal of conserving, managing and restoring all 14 otter species around the world.
About the IUCN SSC
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. The IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) is one of the seven IUCN Commissions. SSC is a science-based network of more than 11,000 volunteer experts from almost every country of the world, all working together towards achieving the vision of a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to reduce the loss of diversity of life on earth.
Our goals
1. Lead efforts to conserve all 14 otter species worldwide, working at local, regional, and global levels
2. Assess, review, and communicate the status, threats, and needs of otters worldwide, while updating the IUCN Red List and the Green Status of Species
3. Promote the wise management of otters in the wild though collaboration with public and private institutions, NGOs and local communities
4. Promote the responsible management of otters in captivity through collaboration with zoos and aquaria, supported by studbooks and husbandry manuals.
5. Promote new research and conservation initiatives to help restore threatened and endangered otter populations
6. Train and mentor a new generation of otter researchers and conservationists
7. Promote concrete actions to stop the illegal trade threatening otters
8. Engage local communities in participatory processes to reduce conflicts and foster human-otter coexistence
OSG structure
The OSG is led by two Co-Chairs who work in close collaboration with three Deputy Chairs, responsible respectively for Communication, Programs, and Publications. The core team also includes the Red List Authority and the Species Coordinators. Network and Working Group Coordinators focus on specific thematic areas, while the group further benefits from the guidance of an Advisory Board.
Please note that the OSG will update its operational structure for the 2026–2029 IUCN quadrennium – all updates will be posted on the ‘members’ page.
Meet our donors
We are supported by many organizations and, in turn, we strive to support others.
