Otter predation sparks tension in Norwegian salmon rivers.
River owners in western Norway are clashing with regulators over the growing presence of otters in salmon rivers, as pressure mounts on already fragile wild stocks.
In the Gloppeelva in Vestland, landowners report the protected predator has taken a significant share of the few Atlantic salmon returning this season, according to reporting from NRK.
Kjell Petter Solhaug of the Gloppeelva River Owners’ Association said sightings have increased markedly. Half-eaten fish have been found on riverbanks, and cameras have recorded otters moving through fish ladders alongside salmon.
“It is not a pleasant sight when salmon are struggling so badly already,” he told NRK.
The association applied for a licence to cull the otter but was refused by the County Governor, which argued that lethal control is not a long-term solution and pointed to the lack of preventative measures in place.
The debate has spread beyond a single river. According to Norwegian Salmon Rivers, which represents 127 river owner groups, the conflict is particularly acute in Vestland. General secretary Torfinn Evensen said the underlying issue is not the otter but the poor state of wild salmon. Sea lice, regulated water flows and low river levels have left fish vulnerable to predators.
“Wild salmon are in crisis now, and it is important to protect them. It may be that we will have to sacrifice some otters in the future in order to have more salmon,” Evensen said.
Since 2020, the County Governor in Vestland has received eight applications for permission to shoot otters. Only one, in the Etneelva in 2025, has been approved. There, otters repeatedly attacked a capture cage used for removing farmed escapees, halting the salmon run entirely.
Researchers at the Norce institute in Bergen are trialling non-lethal methods to deter otters, including sound, electrical fencing and even animal scent repellents. Project leader Marius Kambestad said early results show some potential, but he does not believe shooting will solve the issue.
“There are plenty of otters, especially in western Norway. If one is killed, another will likely take its place. The problem is not too many otters, but too few salmon due to man-made factors,” he said.
The conflict highlights the difficult balance between protecting a once-endangered predator and safeguarding a species now on the red list. For river owners, the frustration is immediate: in Gloppeelva, an estimated 10 percent of the salmon counted so far have been lost to otters.
