FRIENDS OF THE SEA OTTER (FSO) IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 1968 AND DEDICATED TO THE PROTECTION OF A RARE AND THREATENED SPECIES, THE SEA OTTER, AND ITS HABITAT.

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2012 SUMMER NEWSLETTER

Please meet our boardmembers and staff:

It has been another busy six months! We at FSO have been reaching out to our members and volunteers, California legislators and partner sea otter organizations, to involve and educate as many as possible on the threats facing sea otters and their habitat.

Read on to learn more about FSO’s activities, including:• Ourvolunteerprograms:WaterMonitoringandSea Otter Spotting;• Toola,theMontereyBayAquarium’smostfamous sea otter;• Updatestothe“no-otter”zone,H.R.4043,andCalifornia’s MarineLifeProtectionAct;and• AttemptsinAlaskatolimitseaotterrecovery

PleaseexplorethefollowingpagestolearnmoreaboutwhatFSOsupportsandwhatwearedoingtoprotectseaottersandtheircoastalhabitats.Weinviteyoutolearnmoreaboutwhatyoucandotosupportouractivitiesandseaotterconservation.Aswedependupon our members for support, please never hesitate to contact us ifyouhaveaquestionorwanttolearnmoreaboutFSO’scurrentactivities. We love to hear from our members.

With respect and appreciation,The Staff and Board of Friends of the Sea Otter

Our Mission“Friends of the Sea Otter is committed to and advocates for the conservation of sea otters, the preservation of their habitat, through education, research, and policy decisions that will ensure the long-term survival of this species.”

Dear Members:

Jud Vandevere: For many years Jud studied the natural history of the southern sea otter. In The Sea Otter (Enhydra Lutris): Behavior, Ecology and Natural History (Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Report 90 (14))by Dr. Riedman and Dr. Estes are references to nine articles authored and twoco-authoredbyVandevere.

Chris Miller: Chris has been involved withFriendsoftheSeaOtterformanyyears.HeisalsoanactivevolunteerattheMontereyBayAquarium.

Pam Ferris-Olson:PamwroteseveralpositionpaperswithMargaretOwingsand Betty Davis and a masters thesison the conservation of the southern sea otter.PamcurrentlylivesinOhioareaandisworkingonaPhDinleadership.She is glad to once again be part of a teamworking hard to protect the seaotter and its marine habitat.

Jennifer Covert:JenniferhasbeenwithFSOsince2008.SheservesasSeniorProgramManagerandisamemberontheFSOBoardofDirectors.Inherroleas program manager Jennifer liaises withotherconservationorganizations,legal and scientific consultants, and educators to advocate for the sea otter locally, regionally and nationally.  She currentlyresidesinNewYorkCityandworks for a sustainable developmentorganization.

Jason Lutterman: Jason has served as program manager for FSO since 2010. He works in FSO’s Carmeloffice handling accounting systems, communication with members andvolunteers, managing FSO’s local projects and programs, and other duties essential to the daily operation of FSO.

Follow us on Twitter! @friendsseaotter

Find us on Facebook!www.facebook.com/friendsoftheseaotter

Cassie, Jess and Thomas spot sea otters for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation program (SORAC). Image courtesy of SORAC.

Calling All Otter SpottersAsthetouristseasonbeginshereinMonterey,FriendsoftheSeaOtter is looking forvolunteers to joinournewOtterSpottingprogram.This volunteer-basedprogram is aimedat supportingresearchersandraisingawarenessofseaottersbyengagingthelocal community and tourists alike. In partnership with theMontereyBayAquarium’sSeaOtterResearchandConservationprogram, FSO volunteerswill support sea otter trackers alongthe Monterey recreational trail and throughout the MontereyPeninsulabyservingasnaturalhistoryinterpreterstothosewhoare interested in the researchers’ activities.

Therequirementstoparticipateinthisprogramareanenthusiasticcommitment to sea otter conservation,willingness to speak toothers, ability to commit to a schedule of your choice, and an outgoing and upbeat demeanor.

Please contact Frank at freynolds@seaotters.org, call 831-915-3275 or go to http://seaotters.org/ottervolunteer.html if you are interested.

Volunteer to Help Monitor Water QualityFriends of the Sea Otter has teamed up with the CaliforniaDepartmentofPublicHealthtomonitorthequalityofwaterinsea otter habitat and potential habitat. For years our volunteers havedutifullycollectedsamplesofwatertoanalyzeforbiotoxinsand other harmful organic organisms that cause such things as Paralytic ShellfishPoisoning (PSP) and algae blooms, both ofwhicharedangeroustoseaotters.

Volunteers inthepasthavehadgreat thingstosayabouttheirexperienceincollectingwatersamplesandsomehaveevenbegundoingtheirownpreliminaryanalysisbeforesendingthesamplestothe lab.AyaObara,a formervolunteer,hadthis tosayaftercompletinghertimewithFSO:

“Being a water monitor volunteer for marine biotoxins hasbeen a great experience!  I really enjoy going out to collect my samplesandlearninghowtoidentifythedifferentdiatomsanddinoflagellates. IalsofeltlikeIwascontributingtoanawesomecause-collecting/lookingatsamplessowecanprotectshellfishconsuming organisms, from the marine mammal population to our community of people who enjoy seafood.  Working withtheDepartmentofPublicHealthhasbeenawonderfullearningexperience, especially for someone likemewho is interested inenvironmentalhealth-thankyouforconnectingme,FSO!

No scientific expertise or experience is required to volunteeras a Marine Water Monitor. For more information, contact Frank at freynolds@seaotters.org, call 831-915-3275, or go to http://seaotters.org/ottervolunteer.html.

Friends of the Sea Otter Heads to SacramentoOnMonday,March26FriendsoftheSeaOtter(FSO)teamedupwith forty-four other conservation organizations at the 5thannual Ocean Day event in Sacramento, California’s state capital. The goal of the event was to educate and inspire California’sdecisionmakers on the oceans, oceanwildlife, the threats theyface, andhow to preserve and protect them for generations tocome.

Throughout the daylong event, FSO and other ocean advocates visited96 legislatorofficesandhundredsof staffmembers andlawmakers. FSO’s main aim for this day was to communicateto legislators the importance of passing laws that protect andpreserve our oceans, and in doing so, help sea otters and their habitat.Tothatend,topicsincludedurbanandagriculturalrunoff,plasticpollution,theno-otterzone,andcompletingCalifornia’sstatewidenetworkofmarineprotectedareas(seepage5).

Moving forward, FSO welcomes greater cooperation fromstate legislators tohelpprotect ouroceans asweworkwithourconservation partners to preserve sea otters and our ocean resources for future generations.

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Toola the sea otter, which the Monterey Bay Aquarium calls “arguably the most important animal in the 28-year history of the aquarium’s pioneering Sea Otter Research and Conservation program,” sadly passed away on March 3rd, 2012.

Toola was 15 or 16 years old and, over the course of her life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, had raised 13 orphaned pups. She was the first sea otter to have ever served as a surrogate mother to stranded or abandoned pups.

Inspired by Toola’s miraculous recovery from brain infection caused by toxoplasma gondii (probably a result of improperly-disposed kitty litter), California lawmakers created the California Sea Otter Fund in 2006. Since its creation, the Fund has contributed over $1 million to important sea otter research by collecting voluntary contributions from California taxpayers on state income tax forms.

“I will argue that there is no other single sea otter that had a greater impact upon the sea otter species, the sea otter programs worldwide, and upon the interface between the sea otters’ scientific community and the public,” said aquarium veterinarian Dr. Mike Murray.  Though Toola may have passed on, her legacy remains. The California Sea Otter Fund, which she inspired, continues to support critical research on her species to this day. Five of her pups are still living in the wild and have given birth to seven of their own pups.

A total of 335 stranded southern sea otters (both deceased and injured) were reported in 2011, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the government agency responsible for counting California’s sea otters. Causes of sea otter deaths included mating trauma, emaciation, parasites and infectious diseases, bacterial infections, heart disease, harmful algal blooms, boat strikes and gunshot wounds.

The most surprising finding, though, was a spike in sea otter mortality caused by shark bites. “Shark bite deaths accounted for 15% of recovered carcasses by the late 1990’s, and this has risen to approximately 30% of recovered carcasses in 2010 and 2011,” said Tim Tinker of the USGS’s Western Ecological Research Center. Though evidence from tooth fragments points to white sharks, there is no evidence of the sharks actually consuming sea otters. More likely is that these sharks are “tasting” otters by biting once or twice, which is usually enough to be fatal for an average-sized sea otter.

More worrisome is the growing trend for sharks to prefer female sea otters of breeding age, the most important sea otter population segment to the recovery of the species. Females used to represent just 17% of shark bites, but this has grown to 35% of all shark-bitten carcasses in 2011. One possible reason for this troubling trend is an increase of shark bites in parts of the range where there are higher proportions of breeding females.

Stranded sea otters are reported by the California Sea Otter Stranding Network, an alliance of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and

various city beach cleanup crews. USGS estimates that only about 50% of all sea otter deaths wash up onshore and are reported by the Network. Live otters are reported to and retrieved by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Marine Mammal Center.

To report a stranded sea otter, contact the Monterey Bay Aquarium (for Central Coast) at 831-648-4840 or the Marine Mammal Center (statewide) at 415-289-7325. Remember to not touch or approach any stranded sea otter – it is illegal and sea otters can bite.

Sea Otter Advocates Everywhere Mourn the Loss of Toola

Stranded Otters Reach Record High in 2011

Toola the Sea Otter. Image courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium

Graph depicting sea otter strandings as a percentage of spring count. Because the 2011 spring census was canceled, 2010 spring count of 2,711 was used to find 2011 percentage. Data from USGS.

WWW.SEAOTTERS.ORG –P.5

As of January 1st, 2012, a network of 50 marine protected areas (MPAs) and 2 similar “special closure“ areas came into effect in Southern California. Southern California is the third region in California to adopt regulations under the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), leaving just the North Coast and the San Francisco Bay regions left to follow. Thanks to the MLPA, a huge network of MPAs from the Mexican border to the Oregon border may soon protect the entire Californian coast.

In the same way that our land-based parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, protect terrestrial wildlife and natural resources, MPAs are established to protect the ocean’s resources while still providing limited commercial and recreational access. These protected areas generally allow fish, mammals, and other marine life to breed, feed, and live without invasive interference from humans. They are an important step toward an ocean-friendly policy that cherishes California’s unique environment and wildlife like the southern sea otter. MPAs also provide safe nurseries and habitat for commercial fish populations, ultimately benefiting commercial fisheries as well. In a global study of Marine Protected Areas by the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans, scientists found MPAs experience a:

• 446percentaverageincreaseinbiomassofanimalsandplants.• 166percentaverageincreaseinnumberofplantsoranimals.• 1,000 percent increase in biomass and populations density of heavily fished species.

Though there are over 50 MPAs in Southern California alone, not all of the MPAs established under the Marine Life Protection Act are the same. The California Fish and Game Commission and their advisory committees included a diverse set of stakeholders, from fishermen to conservationists and scientists, in the process to determine the size, type, and character of each MPA. As a result, there are five “flavors” of Californian MPAs, each with different regulations but all committed to marine protection:

• StateMarineReserve:NoFishingisallowedintheseareas.• StateMarineConservation Area: Limits commercial and recreational fishing to protect a specific habitat or resource.• State Marine Park: Prohibits commercial fishing but allows most recreational fishing.

• StateMarineRecreationalManagementArea:Limits commercial and recreational fishing to protect a specific habitat or resource, while allowing continued take of waterfowl. • SpecialClosure:Specificareathatprohibitshumanentry.

About half of all state MPAs are State Marine Conservation Areas that allow limited commercial and recreational fishing, and about half of all state MPAs are State Marine Reserves that prohibit all fishing. Far fewer MPAs are Special Closures or State Marine Parks, and only a small handful are State Marine Recreational Management Areas.

Sea otters can benefit from an extensive network of MPAs. Scientists believe that one of the many stressors currently afflicting sea otters is a lack of quality prey, the cause for which can be attributed to a variety of factors including overharvesting by humans, pollution, and range restriction. Sea otters also have to spend more time hunting and expending energy, leaving them with less time to groom, socialize, and raise pups. Generally speaking, MPAs increase both the quantity and quality of sea life and help preserve the entire food web. In this way, MPAs could help make our oceans more bountiful and help relieve the stress sea otters endure from having to spend so much time hunting.

Sea otters can also benefit from the limits MPAs impose on commercial fishing. Every year sea otters are killed, whether intentionally or by accident, from fishing boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, such as gillnets. An extensive network of MPAs can help reduce these harmful interactions and reduce sea otter mortalities by limiting commercial fishing and irresponsible fishing practices in sea otter habitat.

Because sea otters face such a variety of threats, California’s new network of Marine Protected Areas may not be the answer to all of the sea otter’s problems, but they are a giant step in the right direction. Many challenges lay ahead in enforcing regulations and educating the public, but by putting the conservation of our coastal oceans at the forefront of public policy, California is laying the foundation of what can only be a bright future of responsible ocean stewardship.

To learn more about California’s Marine Life Protection Act and the new network of Marine Protected Areas, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/.

CA Network of Marine Protected

Areas nearly complete

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Sea otters are the target of a new bill introduced by Representative Elton Gallegly (R – Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties) deceptively called “The MilitaryReadinessandSouthernSeaOtterRecoveryAct”orH.R.4043.In reality, this bill represents the single most damaging legislation aimed at sea otters in more than a decade.

BackgroundIn the last issue of The Raft, we reported that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, after nearly two decades, finally proposed in August 2011 to end the failed “no-otter” zone. The “no-otter” zone is part of a 1986 law that is meant to prevent sea otters from naturally expanding their range south of Santa Barbara and into prime commercial shellfish fisheries. Friends of the Sea Otter and our partners supported the proposed decision to end the zone and thousands of people like you sent letters to the Service to urge a finalized decision as soon as possible. The Service is required by a court settlement to finalize their decision by December 2012.

Fearing sea otters may soon be free to reclaim their historic habitat off the coast of Southern California, shellfish fishing interests and their CongressionalalliesintroducedH.R.4043totheHouseofRepresentativesbefore the Service could finalize its decision.

A Veiled TacticH.R.4043isprimarilymeanttoexcludeseaottersfromexpandingtheirrange south. The popularity of ending the no-otter zone, though, meant that fishing interests needed to pursue some other tactic to win Congressional support. In order to “veil” their motive, the commercial fishing groups included in their legislation a provision that would be backed by the Navy and thus garner enough support for Congress to pass the bill.

Tothatend,H.R.4043essentiallycontainstwoprovisions.First,thebillwould expand the exemptions the Navy currently has at San Nicolas Island from regulations under the Endangered Species Act, which are meant to protect listed species like the southern sea otter, to two other Navy facilities (San Clemente Island and Camp Pendleton, both of which are not currently inhabited by sea otters). In essence, these exemptions mean the Navy does not have to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding their actions and their possible impacts on sea otters, and releases the Navy from liability if a sea otter is harmed in the course of a military operation or exercise. However, to date there has never been a reported incident of a sea otter interfering with or becoming harmed by a military operation, despite decades of sea otters living around the active military base at San Nicolas Island.

Because of the influence the Navy has on Capitol Hill and the popularity ofnationalsecurityissues,itisbelievedthatH.R.4043’sfirstprovisionasdescribed above would gather support from both sides of the aisle. In this way, the Navy portion would be used as a veil to pass the second, more damaging and threatening portion of the bill.

The So-Called EcosystemManagement PlanThe second portion of the bill, presumably authored by commercial fishing interests who oppose ending the “no-otter” zone, would mandate the creation of a specifically-defined “Ecosystem Management Plan” for Southern California before the Service is allowed to terminate the “no-otter” zone.

AspartoftheEcosystemManagementPlandefinedinH.R.4043,theFishand Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service would be required to “ensure the commercial harvest of shellfish fisheries at levels approximating current harvests” for Southern California fisheries. This would without a doubt lead to further restrictions of the sea otter range, since there is no way to ensure current commercial harvest levels if the sea otter were to return to Southern California.

It is also scientifically and politically unfeasible to maintain current levels of shellfish harvests, even without an expansion of the sea otter range. Retired Senior Wildlife Veterinarian and Supervisor of the California Department of Fish and Game’s Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center Dr. DavidJessupstatedataCongressionalhearingforH.R.4043,“Thegrowthand reproduction of shellfish (thus potential future harvest) is dependent on many large uncontrollable forces like ocean temperature, pH, nutrient levels, and plankton blooms.” It is a mystery how the government can protect against these gradual and broad changes in the ocean environment in the context of a regional Ecosystem Management Plan.

H.R. 4043 also requires that an Ecosystem Management Plan ensure“the recovery of the endangered black abalone and endangered white abalone,” despite all the scientific evidence that point to disease and human overharvesting as the cause for the collapse of those species, not sea otters. Furthermore, healthy populations of abalone and sea otters currently coexist in many locations.

What You Can DoFriends of the Sea Otter will continue to fight for the recovery and survival of all sea otters and oppose this bill at every point in the legislative process, but we need your support.

Please call or write your representative to ask them to vote NO on this dangerous bill. You can visit our website at www.seaotters.org to take action and send an email to your representative, or to learn more about the bill, seaottersandtheno-otterzone.Forup-to-dateinformationonH.R.4043,please visit www.seaotters.org.

Update:Justtbeforethisnewsletterwenttopress,aversionofH.R.4043was passed in the House of Representatives as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act and is now being considered in the Senate. Please visit www.seaotters.org and click on News to learn more.

New Bill Targets Sea Otters,Would Stall Recovery

No-Otter Zone Update

H.R. 4043 would continue the failed no-otter zone that prohibits sea otters from swimming south of Point Conception, CA.

WWW.SEAOTTERS.ORG –P.7

Fans and friends of the sea otter have something to celebrate as an anti-sea otter Alaskan state resolution, HJR 26, has failed in committee. HJR 26 was a nonbinding state resolution that called on the federal government to adopt management protocols for sea otters in Southeast Alaska. Proponents of the bill claim sea otters in Southeast Alaska have become too numerous and are inflicting damage on commercial fisheries. Since management and recovery of sea otters is the responsibility of the federal government and not the State of Alaska, the resolution was largelymeant to condoneand support the federalbillH.R.2714,whichwas introduced last July by Rep. Don Young (R – Alaska) and covered extensively in the previous issue of The Raft. Sea otters in Southeast Alaska are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits most hunting of marine mammals. Native Alaskans who practice their traditional customs, though, are permitted to hunt sea otters and make cultural artifacts from their fur and other body parts to sell. Such artifacts are strictly regulated and must conform to standards that ensure they are made in a traditional manner (i.e. not mass-produced). Sea otter parts must also be “significantly altered” to ensure the artifact could not easily be taken apart later and commercially fashioned into some other item. Currently there is no limit on the number of sea otters that can be hunted by Native Alaskans in Southeast Alaska. Average annual harvests are normally in the range of 300-350 sea otters, which scientists believe is not enough to seriously impact the recovery of the population. In 2010 and 2011, though, harvest rates have nearly doubled for unknown reasons. H.R.2714would incentivize increasing thisharvest rate even furtherbyremoving the restriction that items made from sea otter parts must be “significantlyaltered.”Instead,H.R.2714wouldmakeitlegalforNativeAlaskans to continue hunting unlimited numbers of sea otters and sell their unaltered pelts to commercial enterprises to be made into mass-produced products like coats, rugs, and other garments. In essence, this bill would allow fisheries to use Native Alaskan hunters as a tool to slow or reverse sea otter recovery rates in the region. Though the state resolutionmay have failed,H.R. 2714 remains in theU.S. House of Representatives. Please make your voice heard and tell your representativetovoteNOonH.R.2714byvisitingwww.seaotters.org. To learn more about HJR 26, please turn to page 8.

New CA Offshore Oil Project ProposedThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the California State Lands Commission is currently completing an environmental review for a pro-posed oil project located 3.7 miles offshore from the City of Carpinteria in Southern California.

The Carone Petroleum Corporation is proposing to redevelop oil fields in state waters using an existing offshore oil drill platform located in federal waters. If the project moves forward, as many as 25 new injection wells will produce as much as 3,500 bbl/day that will be transported via an underwater pipeline to an existing processing facility in Ventura County.

About 150 southern sea otters now inhabit the waters south of Point Conception and the entire species remains at risk of extinction should a major oil incident occur. The 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska, for example, killed an estimated 2,500 northern sea otters– nearly the entire current population of sea otters in California. The threat of an oil spill is particularly strong in the case of sea otters. Sea otters are unique among marine mammals because they rely on a high metabolism and dense fur, rather than blubber, for warmth. When oil comes in contact with sea otter fur, the matting effect that ensues diminishes the fur’s ability to trap heat, usually resulting in hypothermia.

The tragedy of the Exxon-Valdez spill taught us that sea otters coated with oil not only die from hypothermia, but from severe internal organ damage through ingested oil after extensive grooming. Over 20 years after the Exxon-Valdez spill, studies have found oil still present in the ecosystem and it is continuing to negatively affect sea otters – a testament to how damaging and long-lasting oil can be in the marine environment.

Many offshore oil projects are permitted with the requirement that they create and fund a contingency plan in the unfortunate event of an oil spill accident. An oil spill contingency plan with a sea otter response plan would be helpful, but it does not address the bigger picture. Most response plans only focus on cleaning otters, but not the long-term impacts resulting from oil’s lingering presence in the ecosystem, the contamination of the food supply, or the ingestion of oil. The only way to really protect sea otters is to limit offshore oil drilling altogether.

A full draft environmental review for the Carpinteria project is due to be released sometime later this year. FSO will continue to advocate against dangerous offshore oil drilling that poses an imminent risk to the southern sea otter.

Alaskan Anti-Sea Otter State Resolution Fails

Hunting rates for sea otters in southeast Alaska in 2010 and 2011 have almost doubled from the average over the past decade. 2011 numbers are estimates from FWS. Year totals are averaged over 3 years.

Sea Otter Mortalities due to Native AlaskanHunting in Southeast Alaska since 2001

500480460440420400380360340320300

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Year

#of r

epor

ted

hunt

ed se

a ot

ters

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Tina Brown is President of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. Founded in 1978, Alaska Wildlife Alliance (AWA) is a non-profit organization committed to the conservation and protection of Alaska’s wildlife. AWA promotes the integrity, beauty, and stability of Alaska’s ecosystems,  supports true subsistence hunting, and recognizes the intrinsic value of wildlife. AWA works to achieve and maintain balanced ecosystems in Alaska managed with the use of sound science to preserve wildlife for present and future generations. AWA was founded by Alaskans and depends on the grassroots support and activism of its members.

While many are aware that Representative Don Young has sponsored a bill to control sea otter populations in Alaska and that Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich have co-sponsored a similar bill, few  know that State Representative Peggy Wilson has sponsored a similar  state resolution to control the growing sea otter population in Southeast Alaska. 

Before the fur trade, sea otter populations in Southeast Alaska ranged from 200,000 to 300,000 animals, but the fur trade completely wiped out all sea otters in the area.  Four hundred sea otters were translocated to six sites by the State of Alaska from 1965 - 1969; there has been a 12% yearly increase of sea otters in the region since 2003.  Even so, sea otter densities in the region are lower than in the rest of the state, and sea otters in Southeast Alaska are well below carrying capacity.

Nevertheless, the shellfish industry in Southeast Alaska is already calling for sea otter population management.

Representative Peggy Wilson of Wrangell, Alaska, has taken action with her House Joint Resolution 26, commonly known as the Sea Otter Resolution.  While not a bill, this resolution would “urge federal authorities to consider broadening the scope of allowable uses for sea otters taken for subsistence purposes to include the use, transfer, and sale of intact sea otter pelts in order to restore to the state’s Native people the right to make full use of sea otters harvested for subsistence while expanding and enhancing

Guarding Alaska’s Sea OttersBy Tina Brown, President of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance

WWW.SEAOTTERS.ORG –P.9

economic opportunities for residents of Southeast Alaska.”  Copies of the resolution would be sent to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich, and Representative Don Young.

The Native community in Southeast Alaska voiced concerns about selling sea otter pelts; it was feared that the pelts would be turned into fake Alaskan Native handicrafted pieces and sold for less than the authentic ones are sold.  This concern appears to have been  addressed to the satisfaction of the Native representatives. 

There are, however,  other critical concerns regarding this resolution, not the least of which is  its inflammatory language such as the use of “alarming” and “dramatically.”  Additionally, the resolution relies  on information from a limited November 2011 McDowell Report that was paid for by the shellfish industry.  Also, Representative Wilson’s Sponsor Statement says that the Southeast Alaska sea otter population “is believed to be” within the optimum sustainable population range - a statement that has no factual basis. 

During the House Resources Committee hearing on HJR 26, one commercial fisherman testified in person, pointing out that  sea otters are a keystone species, benefiting virtually all fisheries; one  tourism operator testified in person, pointing out that sea otter viewing would be lucrative in Southeast Alaska;  I testified in person and in written form  on behalf of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.  Those strongly supporting the resolution included the president of the Southeast Alaska Dive Association and  the mayor of Craig, Alaska.  Supporters do not believe that there is time to wait before acting, claiming that sea otters are decimating the regional shellfish industry.

 Meanwhile, there is already an important study taking place - the Southern Southeast Alaska Sea Otter Project - “examining the impact of sea otter re-colonization on commercial and subsistence fisheries in southern Southeast Alaska:  http://seagrant.uaf.edu/research/projects/10/otter/.  The  research team includes Verena Gill, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Ginny Eckert, Fisheries Division, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Zacahary Hoyt, Ph.D., student, Fisheries Division, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks; and Sunny Rice, Marine Advisory Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Petersburg Office.  With such a prestigious study already in progress, it wouldn’t be prudent to take action until the results of this study are known.

Interestingly, Dr. Rebecca Martone, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, is taking part in a somewhat similar study on Vancouver Island.  The results of this study will be important to Alaskans and others as well.

At the end of the House Resources Committee (a committee on which Representative Wilson sits) hearing on HJR 26, the resolution was passed on, but with a request for Representative Wilson to eliminate the “editorializing” - in other words, the inflammatory language.  Other legislators, including at least two other members of the House Resources Committee, offered to assist Representative Wilson in the editing of the resolution, however she refused to change one word.

 When HJR 26 moved on to the Senate Resources Committee, the group took no oral public testimony.  Fortunately, I had already sent in written testimony on behalf of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, but others were waiting

to testify in person (as was I).  The committee asked Representative Wilson to speak on behalf of the resolution; she stated that she did not have predator control in mind at all and that the only opposing voices at the House Resources Committee hearing were those of three animal rights groups.  I later e-mailed all members of the committee to correct the records.  I also sent Representative Wilson a list of questions, copying members of the Senate Resources Committee and other key Senators, to which she has not responded.

 HJR 26 was passed on to the Senate Rules Committee but was not acted upon by the Alaska Senate during session; this is a win, albeit a temporary one.  The Alaska Wildlife Alliance will be ready when the new legislative session begins in January, 2013.  Meanwhile, I sent Representative Wilson a list of questions regarding HRJ 26:

 1. You stated that three “animal activists” opposed HJR 26 at the House Resources Committee hearing. What are the names of these three “animal activists” and on what grounds did each one oppose HJR 26?

2. Why does HJR 26 call for a study of sea otters in Southeast Alaska when there is an ongoing study (http://seagrant.uaf.edu/research/projects/10/ otter/)thatwillbecompletedin2014,alreadyinprogress?

3. What sea otter experts did you consult before you submitted HJR 26?

4. Given that Native Alaskans already have virtually no limit on the number of sea otters they can kill, and given that no one opposes the broadening of the uses of sea otter pelts by Native Alaskans, what do you hope the study you propose will accomplish/suggest?

5. What do you estimate the cost of your proposed study to be and how long do you expect the study to take?

 As of this printing, she has not responded. 

Because of the lack of a viable sea otter population, it is likely that most Southeast Alaskans have never experienced a healthy marine ecosystem.  In fact, it is possible that sea otters, shellfish, and humans have never before co-existed in modern Southeast Alaska.  It is not time to “manage” sea otter populations.  It is time to wait to see what current reputable studies reveal and to experience how a healthy sea otter population can benefit Southeast Alaska’s fishing and tourism industries.  When the Alaska State Legislature convenes in January 2013, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, along with our friends at Friends of the Sea Otter, will be ready with the voice of reason.

Extent of the northern sea otter range. Map courtesy of Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Sea Otter Friends ($1-49)KarnaandPaulBosterBetteFriedbergLindaAnthonyFrankyCourieSusanHarrisonMichaelandBeverlyTulperFranco SalernoAliceKozarGloriaAscherSteveBrennerPatriciaCedarleafRamona CrosbyMildredDennisGayGaffkeChris and Carol GebelMaryGeeNancy GlennCarolyn GroschMarianHargrave

SueJacksonArnoldJaffeNancy JordanJames KarasMargretLohfeldSteven SinclairMarieSmithDouglas SmytheCarol StaibCandyTicksonDeborahToppingsElinorTwohyRodney and Jane WashburnNormaWestwickPatWissingStephanieBurnettNormanandElsaBenderCarmenBlindDorothyHicksPhyllisHolt

Erma KernJanetMallowMelissaRadcliffEdwinShaughnessyMargaretTarrPhilippaComfortLynneRichterEdandEvelynConrowBrendaandChristopherHallKayHiltonandJeremyEisenThomasHughesRuth JarmuszMarilynandGordonJasoniElaine KimosWendyLunsfordKennethandCarolMaclaryCharlesandAdrienneMaitreCarolPetersonand JohnMulvihillMarionShouse

P. 10 – WWW.SEAOTTERS.ORG

FSO needs your support to continue to be the strong voice for sea otter conservation. Consider the following ways in which you can become involved to protect sea otters:

Become a member: Friends of the Sea Otter offers annual member-ships that include a subscription to the twice-annual newsletter, The Raft. Your membership donation is fully tax-deductible and all dona-tions go to supporting our programs and furthering our cause. While we accept donations in any amount, our suggested contribution levels are:

$15 – Student/Senior$30 – Individual Membership$50 – Family Membership or Supporter Membership$100 – Advocate Membership$250 – Steward Membership$1,000 – Business Membership

We also offer our Otter Honor Roll classroom membership for $30. This membership includes a class certificate, Beneath The Surface sea otter documentary DVD narrated by Betty White, and an activ-ity book, bookmark, and sticker for each student. FSO staff is also available to all teachers/students to help with sea otter projects or curriculum development.

Volunteer: Become a volunteer Otter Spotter and/or Marine Water Monitor for Friends of the Sea Otter!

Take Action: Go to www.seaotters.org/takeaction.html to send an email to your representatives and tell them to adopt sea otter-friendly policies! Better yet, give your representatives a call or send them a handwritten letter!

Stay Connected: Friends of the Sea Otter relies on our membership base to take action on important issues and to raise awareness of sea otters in their own communities. Connect with FSO on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up to receive our monthly eNewsletter and action alerts on our website to stay up to date on the latest sea otter news.

Get Involved!

Donors List Thank you to all our members for your generous support! Please join us in recognizing the donors below who contributed to Friends of the Sea Otter between December, 2011 and April, 2012.

WWW.SEAOTTERS.ORG –P.11

Shirley ThompsonKarenTozerKaren WellsSusanandAnthonyZitoWilliam FobertNancyLilienthalJennifer WestShanna WittCarolAnnBaldwinMelindaBaskerMichelleBenedictLizaBerdnikCatherineCrockettRobertDeVriesMichaelDouvrisGladys EatonBarbaraEwingLynnandN.C.HartJeanHicksKatrina JohnsonTracyJohnstonCarolyn and Donald JuddJeannetteLandisDeborahLockeSandiMcSpaddenMaryAnnMochizukiand Raymond NorrisNoraMular-RichardsBruceandNancyPalmerBarbaraParrilloArnoldRathmanChristine ReardonEllen ReynoldsRichard SmithRuth StevensDebiandTedTeimerJudyTomczakJoanHathawayKaren OsgoodWilliam SchoeneJohn SteppDennisMontoyaEmily FossDaveHorlickAliceFlickDeidre GouldingThomas ReichardLamarBevilMarionDeGroffLeslieNuttingWright Smith and SueAnnMeadKevinFrickElaineMckinley

Sea Otter Supporters ($50-99)SusanBarronLoisBarty-KingJudyandDavidBujoldMaryChaseKelly CherryLindaandMikeClarkRamonaCrooksBurtCummingsAngelaandCarlDayCynthiaDeMaghtIrene EngelbrechtZenaErvinJoanneMarieFishGregoryFowlerSusan Gates and Gene FaulknerMarjorieGlennRobertandBarbaraGrahamMarilynand Sandy GreenblatChristopher and VictoriaHaysHelpingHandsForAnimalsSarah JaggerFloran KepicBarbaraLandtTeresaLowMichelleMaingKarlMarhenkeMaryLuMuffoletto LivingTrustConnieandDaveMaytaMarianMcAleenanVioletMoffatDoreineandPaulMuschNancy NybergSheila O’KeefeCelia and Daniel OlsonTaddandDebbieOttmanNancyPepperJean RosenbergAntonRosenthalTerrySchullerJohnSeleckyMarlaandGregTurekCandaceWalkerSheila WilliamsLaVonneZuckswerthCeinwynOtterThomasCarolDiaz-ZubietaNancy Faith

TonyMelchiorDavidMeredithDruParkerWarren and LenoraWorthingtonCarolynBresslerRosalind SteerePatriciaBlockJudyHartnettArtBornowskiBeverlyGalazCol.JeanneHoppePiersandFaithStraileyJackTathamSteveTeagerSuzanne and Joe WeisenburgerPattiJoStaplesSusanHarrisonChuckRiblettPatriciaSchweizerDeborahUnderwoodStephanVaeth

Sea Otter Advocates ($100-249)AnneBonnetPaulBosterMarjorieBrigadierPaulChrostowskiandLorrainePearsallBarbaraCollettSharon CraterNickDeiuliisJean DrumChristopher EdgettDonna FoxMarilynnGallawayJody GiordanoMonicaGonzalezJoelandClaireGreenwaldRobertHaleLarryHerronSteven IngermanBertandAliceKatzungJennifer KeyserVickiLindbladeBradandJoanMcCannaJuliaMcCarthyKyleMilliganJudithMurphyGregNeukirchnerJane and William OlsenJillPedenWilliamandMerrillPrachar

John RiblettMaryRosenbergAlanandMargaretRush-feldtJeannette SaporitoBarbaraSmithCharlesandDawnSmithNancy StephensThomas StrattonSusan StulzRayandJoyceWatkinsJudy WillsPeterWilsonAlvinandLindaWongAndrewGoldsmithTracyMaxwellMichaelHandorfHarryRasmussen,IIIAnneandRobertJeffreyJohn and Jennifer KeyserRodger ShinnemanJenniferUmstattdFrederickandPatriciaGraboskeDrewShellTomTiceBruceBrysonand Ellen OsborneNilsAndersenJohn and Elaine Gurnett

Sea Otter Stewards ($250-499)Katherine ChenHaraMigdalAnneSymchychPattiRodgersLolaMoonfrogQuickscienceTeamDiane Jaramillo

Benefactors ($500+)JudieAnnBechtleM.S.BordwellNatalie GoldbergLindaMcGurnPumpernickelPressCoNorelleandLeeTavrowBronwenDenton-DavisCommunity Foundation of Santa Cruz CountyEliseMeehanTurnerFoundationCarol Inberg

Friends of the Sea OtterP.O.Box223260Carmel,CA93922www.seaotters.org831-915-3275

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JudVandevereChrisMiller

PamFerris-OlsonJennifer Covert

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