by Denise August, Central
Region Reporter
Ha-Shilth-Sa
Feb, 12, 2004
Tofino
- A traveling road show of provincially appointed experts arrived in Tofino
February 7 to ask locals to do their part in ensuring the continued population
explosion of the sea otter. The reception while civil, had its share of
angry industry workers who fear the sea otter, now making its appearance
in Clayoquot Sound, will devour shellfish and destroy their livlihoods.
Sea otters lack blubber and rely on their dense coats and high metabolism to stay alive. They need to eat 24% of their body weight daily to survive. As a result, they scour the coasts clean of their favorite foods, clams, crab, sea urchins, geoducks and the already protected abalone, in order to satisfy their voracious appetites.
The presentation began with an overview of the history of the decline of the sea otter on the BC coast. Rick Harbo started with an overview of SARA, the Species at Risk Act. The sea otter is protected, he said, under SARA after becoming extinct in British Columbia in the early 1900's.
He said the purpose of today's meeting is to provide information on sea otter recovery planning in BC and the development of a recovery action plan for sea otters. They would discuss the implementation of the strategy that was completed June 2003 and the costs and benefits to be derived from implementation.
They want feedback on the draft action plan and community input to stimulate local involvement in sea otter recovery activities.
Sea otters, he reported, were historically found throughout the northern Pacific Rim. Before contact, First Nations hunted them in sustainable numbers. During the 1700's commercial harvesting led by the Europeans ran until 1850 when the sea otter became economically extinct. By 1911 there were fewer than 2000 otters and in 1929 the last BC sea otter was shot.
In 1969 to 1972 eighty-nine Alaskan sea otters were relocated to Checklesaht Bay where they flourished. With their favorite foods plentiful, the voracious varmints reproduced at a rate of 20% per year. By the 1990's there were 2000 sea otters on the coast of Vancouver Island.
The reproduction rate falls as the otters reach an area's 'carrying capacity', that is, when population meets adequate food supply. At this point, the male otter ventures out seeking new areas rich with urchins, abalone, clams and other seafoods. The females soon follow and new communities of otters are established.
According to the presentation, sea otters can live up to 15 years. Females give birth to one pup each year, and survival rates for the pups are high.
The current population expanded out from Checklesaht Bay to just around the northern tip of Vancouver Island to about halfway down the west side of the Island. Ahousaht fisheries report seeing otters in Cow Bay on the west side of Flores Island. Harbo confirmed the male otters are there and the females will soon follow.
Predation rate of sea otters is low, right now only eagles, says Harbo. Orcas normally hunt sea otters but their numbers are low enough to earn them a position on SARA.
Threats to sea otters today could be a major catastrophe, like an oil spill, could wipe out BC's relatively small sea otter population.
The provinces strategy to re-establish sea otter populations is non-intervention; leave them alone and allow them to continue to multiply and expand their territory. Harbo says they expand toward abundant food supply and when the supply is depleted they move on, leaving a small population that can survive on what is left.
The
goals of the strategy are to:
- improve sea otter population assessments
- identify threats to sea otters
- increase public participation in sea otter recovery activities
- identify important habitat
- ensure the sea otter is better protected
Part of the strategy is to encourage the public to participate in the:
- development of an oil spill response plan
- report and respond to spills
- report and recover sea otter carcasses
- report sea otter net entanglements or other disturbances
Rick claims there are benefits to the reestablishment of sea otter populations. According to scientific ctudies, he says, after otters remove most of the sea urchins the kelp beds begin to grow, providing beneficial habitat for finfish. According to their study, finfish numbers may increase as much as 50 times due to the kelp growth, and nearshore fish productions could double.
The experts said much is unknown about how long it will take the sea otter to recover or what will be left in its wake. "We believe they will reach some kind of equilibrium," said Harbo, adding crab, clams and geoducks will never be on the endangered species list.
Still, when given the opportunity commercial harvesters shared what they've seen so far. Long time local fisherman and activist, Dan Edwards said he has seen the otters in Esperanza and Hesquiaht Harbour and where they are, crab and clams are disappearing. He wanted to know if there would be compensation if harvestable commercial species 'get wiped out' as a result of the recovery plan. He warned there would be 'massive impacts on a lot of people in a short period of time'.
Gary Firth, a geoduck fisherman asked, "Is it worth stopping all commercial and First Nations food harvesting activities just so we can say to the rest of the world that we have sea otters?"
When asked what will happen if the sea otter population becomes too great in one area, Rick replied,"Under the Species at Risk Act the sea otter is still protected and killing otters is prohibited by law, even in areas where the sea otter population has stabilized."
The information tour will go to Kyuquot soon and is scheduled to wrap up by the end of the month. Comments and input from the ten community meetings will be compiled.
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