Currently the municipality of Dospat is popular as a tourism destination for fishing and recreation in mountainous conditions. Due to the weak diversification of the tourism related services and products, a group of local people and organizations discussed their ideas and set themselves the objective to diversify local tourism products through the integration of the biodiversity concerns into these products. While identifying suitable target species which can attract the interest of tourists it was found out that world threatened species (Otter) distributed naturally on the territory of the municipality can be well used for the development and promotion of the new products however its status is quite unfavorable. Otter populations have had a relatively good density in the Dospat dam but are rarely met in the nearby rivers due to the insufficient feeding base. The dam populations are significantly decreasing in numbers as they are in conflict with the interest of the anglers and companies nursing trout in Dospat dam who are illegally killing the species caught.
Information about the distribution, the conservation status and the potential of the species as a resource for ecotourism development is not accessible for local people and is not taken into consideration in decision making and planning on local level.
The goal of the project is to turn the otter into a source of income for local people instead of being a problem, by developing local species conservation plan, creating tourism products related to the species and undertaking concrete conservation activities for the otter distributed in the Dospat dam and habitat restoration activities. The project includes restoration activities for otter habitats and designation of a new protected area in the region for the conservation of otter and other species of conservation importance. As part of the project a monitoring of the species will be carried out and information will be disseminated on the conservation importance of the species and other awareness raising activities targeting local people and visitors in the region including the establishment of two nature protection centers.
It is for the first time in Bulgaria that the project introduces the development and implementation of local species conservation plan on municipality level, which if successful could be well multiplied on a national level. Another innovation proposed by the project is the practice of catching otters from conflict areas and releasing them in habitats, restored under the project.
The target groups for the project include: local people from Dospat municipality; tourists visiting the region; companies dealing with fish breeding; anglers; pupils for the region of Western Rhodope. After the successful completion of the project it is believed that the condition of the populations of the three species will improve in a mid term perspective while tourism products of Dospat municipality will be diversified by taking into account the nature value of he territory. In addition, the conservation activities undertaken for the otter and the two tortoise species, would indirectly contribute to the survey, conservation and sustainable use as an ecotourism product of some other species popular for the region like the Hazel Grouse, the Capercaillie and the trout.