Southern sea otters -– which nearly went extinct more than 100 years ago during the Fur Trade -– could be reintroduced to Northern California and Oregon. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held several open houses this week to talk to community members on the matter.
The agency recently completed a feasibility study finding that reintroduction of the otters could curb overpopulation of sea urchins and support the growth of sea kelp, among other environmental benefits.
On Thursday, Fish and Wildlife Service employees set up booths in a community room at the Emeryville Senior Center. Fish and Wildlife Service employees emphasized community engagement. At one booth, an employee asked residents which locations they felt were important for the agency to know about in terms of species conservation.
Community members walked around the room – which looked like a science fair – to share their perspectives and learn about the potential reintroduction.
Marissa Subia, of Richmond, said, "If we can help the otters in some way, I’d love to know how to do that.
Other community members had questions about otter impacts on shellfish populations. Steve Holmes, who lives in Emeryville, shared, “I am an old abalone diver, and that's something I'm concerned about. Because you give a sea otter an abalone or sea urchin. Which is he going to eat first? Well, that’s what I’m trying to find out.”
The open houses are a way for the agency to learn more about the social and economic impacts reintroduction would have on local communities.
Lilian Carswell is the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Marine Conservation Coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. “If we go forward, the feedback that we received here will play into decisions about what sites we would want to consider further," she said.
The agency will weigh their findings, as well as community responses, in determining whether they will pursue a formal proposal to reintroduce the otters.
