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For Immediate Release
Sea Otter Fall Census Results Mixed
MONTEREY, Calif. -- An upswing in the southern sea otter count for Fall 2001 is a cause for hope, but the estimated year end mortality number and lowered pup count raise continued concerns over the health and status of this population, representatives for Defenders of Wildlife said today.
"Clearly, we aren’t moving in the direction of achieving the stable population of around 3,000 animals we think is minimally necessary; instead, the number of sea otters off our coast is hovering precariously around 2,000," said Jim Curland, Marine Program Associate, Defenders of Wildlife. "That’s just not a robust enough population to ensure they’ll be able to weather serious setbacks."
The U.S. Geological Survey's new Fall 2001 census indicates that the California, or southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population is up compared with last Fall. However, while the 2,012 sea otters counted this Fall is a 7.2% increase from the Fall 2000 count of 1,877 and this information is encouraging news, Curland cautioned against complacency from the results of one census count.
Impacts from disease, habitat degradation and other human causes continue to plague this population. The estimated year-end mortality count for the southern sea otter is 175 animals, which would rank as the third highest since the census began 19 years ago. The pup count of 187 is down by 6% as compared to Fall 2000. In addition, if the sea otter population had continued to increase since 1995 at an average annual rate of 5% as it had done prior to 1995, there would be more more than 3,000 animals today.
Reasons for the observed declines from 1995 through the Spring of this year aren’t entirely understood. Disease, entrapment in fisheries gear, habitat degradation through pollution and other human impacts, and food limitations are some of the causes offered by researchers.
A Southern Sea Otter Research meeting, attended by researchers, aquarium staff and conservation groups, was hosted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium on October 31 and November 1. One of the goals of this meeting was to provide updates on current sea otter research, assess the progress made in southern sea otter research, and identify key areas of research that warrant further attention and funding.
"We still have a tremendous amount of work to do with Congress, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California legislature to secure funds for critical sea otter research,"said Kim Delfino, Director of California Programs, Defenders of Wildlife. "Until we get a better handle on what is causing these swings in the sea otter population, we’ll never be able to take the steps we need to safeguard their survival."
The southern sea otter census is a bi-annual survey of the entire California population. The spring census is considered to be a more accurate estimate of population size due to the difficulty that winter conditions create in counting sea otters. However, the fall count still provides an understanding of population trends as it relates to mortality and reproduction rates.
Defenders will continue to play a leading role in the efforts to promote sea otter recovery, advocate for critical conservation policies and push for critical research funding that will assist in reversing this downward trend. Defenders is focusing education and advocacy efforts on this ecologically important species, including a new Web-based "flash animation" on threats to the sea otter and steps citizens can take to help protect them. See Imperiled Species: Sea Otter.
Defenders of Wildlife has a California Program Office in Sacramento that focuses on state-level advocacy and species work. The organization also has a marine program office in Monterey, California.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 480,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on environmental issues. For timely information on environmental issues, visit www.defenders.org and subscribe to DENLines, a free e-mail alert newsletter.
