The
Westerly News
Sept. 21, 2005
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Sea
lions getting gnarly with surfers
Close
encounters with a surf loving otter
This
article describes some recent events and the quandary faced by Parks Canada
and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
What would you do if you encountered a sea otter at the beach or in the surf? You may want to know more about sea otters and the laws that protect them before you answer these questions. You may also want to consider that your actions affect the safety of other people and impact the future of a threatened species.
Encounters with a sea otter at local beaches have occurred regularly over the past month, particularly in the Long Beach area of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This unusual situation is only the fourth on record along the west coast of North America. The encounters in this area have been primarily with surfers, but have also included beach walkers and dogs. This particular sea otter has often swam right over to people, climbed onto surfboards, tugged on leashes, nipped at gloves, and has bitten people. Parks Canada staff has cautioned the public not to interact with the otter.
You may well be thinking why all the fuss about such a curious and playful animal ...right?
The problem is the distance.
Risks increase dramatically when a person and the otter are within touching distance or in actual physical contact. Sea otters are wild carnivores and their behaviour cannot be predicted. Certain movements or noises could unintentionally threaten the animal and trigger a bite. Some surfers have reacted when the otter, which is the size of a large dog, has tried to climb onto their surfboard with them.
Numerous interactions have occurred at each surf spot, from Cox Bay to Wickaninnish Bay, as the otter continues to seek the reward of interacting with people and their beach stuff. The greater the number of interactions, and the closer the distance, the greater the chances of accidental harm to the otter and people. The potential harm of these interactions is clear, though it remains unknown why the unusual behaviour is occurring.
This issue is not just with surfers. The otter has also followed, and interacted with, people on the beach. If a child gets too close, a potential otter-bite could be very serious. If people are tempted to feed the otter, the risk level to people and the otter increases greatly. Off-leash dogs could also get hurt, or inflict harm on the otter. Defensive reactions by people (there has been one report of slapping at the otter with a surfboard) could also hurt the otter. In the long term, developing a dependency on human interactions compromises the animal's opportunity to live a natural life.
The solution is simple: maintain a healthy distance at all times. Don't reward the otter when it approaches by playing with it. Just give the otter some space in our popular waters. Swim away, or if the otter is persistent, get out of the water until the otter leaves. There is a good chance the otter will lose interest if it is consistently unable to approach and engage people.
Parks Canada is mandated to protect both wildlife and people. Potential harm to Park visitors and the sea otter requires intervention under the Canada National Parks Act. As a marine mammal and a threatened species, sea otters are also protected by federal laws including the Species at Risk Act and the Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act.
The Species at Risk legislation lays out the bounds within which Parks Canada and DFO must act to prevent harm to the otter and people. Below is the sequence of allowed options:
1. Ask the public
for help. Provide advice and information on potential consequences for
the animal and people. Ask the public to voluntarily stop interacting
with the otter.
2. Enforce regulations - potential for severe fines.
3. Prohibit water activities temporarily in the park (Wickanininnish and
Long Beach waters)
Further options (only if 1 - 3 fail) requiring consultations with Tla-o-qui-aht and ministerial approval:
4. Take consistent
direct actions to scare the animal away to prevent approaches
5. Capture and relocate
Option 1 is the obvious
best choice and the focus of current efforts. Actions to scare the animal
away or relocation of the animal are the absolute last resorts. Relocation
is a worst-case scenario, as the behavioural problem could continue no
matter where the animal is located.
Please report all interactions to Park Wardens or other park staff
at 726-8035. Reporting interactions does not mean you will be
fined or that water activities will be temporarily prohibited. Reporting
allows researchers to understand the behaviours of people and the otter
and could actually contribute to implementing a successful strategy to
prevent these situations in the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright The Westerly News, a Canwest
Company. Reproduction of this article or photographs, in whole or in part,
is illegal without the written consent of The Westerly News (westnews@ukeecable.net).
The Westerly News is published each Wednesday in Ucluelet. Phone: 250
726-7029
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