WWF: Otter behavior, still the best natural barometer for mountain river water quality in Romania

Monitoring otter behavior continues to be the best natural barometer in establishing the danger of degradation for mountain river ecosystems in Romania, according to World Wide Fund (WWF) experts. The WWF monitors species in the food chain and, if they are found, it means the ecosystem offers optimal conditions. “For river areas, we used the otter as an indicator. If there are otters on a river, it means they have enough food, meaning fish, which means the river has a good quality of water,” said Cristian Tetelea, head of the water department for WWF, quoted by Agerpres newswire. The NGO does not have official data on wild trouts in mountain rivers in Romania, but it carefully follows the evolution of the species, as an indicator of the water quality. There is no monitoring of wild trout in Romania, hence no official data, but even the Romanian Waters National Administration uses this species as an indicator of water quality, even if without a repetitive and specific monitoring of the trout. editor@romania-insider.com