Otter News Archive

Report: Otter Population Still Declining

Survey Issued By The Otter Project

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29th March 2010

KSBW.com, Salinas, California, USA

MONTEREY, Calif. -- The California sea otter population continues to struggle and remains in decline, according to a recent report issued by The Otter Project.

The status report found that although fewer sea otters were found dead in 2009, the spring count saw a steep enough drop in the otter population to put the 3-year average in decline.

Officials with The Otter Project, a nonprofit working to facilitate the recovery of the California sea otter, also said the sea otters that were found dead tended to be younger, indicating that they are not living as long.

Sea Otter Survey (PDF 204 KB)

Sea otters are considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, which mandates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work toward their recovery.

“We’ve known since last year that the population was struggling,” said Allison Ford, executive director of The Otter Project. “This status report serves as a reminder that we need to act now to improve conditions for sea otters.”

The Otter Project points to poor water quality as one of the main reasons for sea otter deaths.

“There’s been a long-standing debate about what specifically is killing southern sea otters,” Ford said. “But there’s no silver bullet. I think we’re all starting to understand that wide-spread degradation of the natural environment is the culprit.”

In a news release issued Monday, The Otter Project also said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service' failure to lift a failed no otter zone in Southern California is another reason for a decline in the sea otter population.The group sued the agency in 2009 over the no otter zone.

The sea otter is considered an iconic species in the Monterey Bay area.