Date

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003

Speaker

Location

Parking:
On site and free.

Time

Cost

Title

Will The Sea Otter Return To Santa Barbara?

Topics

Does this sound misguided? It is. Sea otters can't read the law and don't obey imaginary lines across the water. Since 1998 otters have been very slowly reoccupying their former range off the Santa Barbara coastline. But not everyone is excited to see them return. Sea urchin fishermen are infuriated that the US Fish and Wildlife Service is not enforcing the no-otter zone. The fishermen would like to see the otters rounded up and put back in northern California. Occasionally, otters have been found dead on Santa Barbara beaches, shot by vandals.

Through this multimedia program, we will learn about the natural history of the sea otter, their near extinction and slow recovery, their relationships with fisheries, and their critical importance to the health of the marine environment.

The program will also explain the no-otter zone and how you can participate in the otter's return. Sometime this fall or winter the US Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to release the "DSEIS" (Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement). The DSEIS is expected to suggest abolishment of the no-otter zone. Public hearings will be held in Santa Barbara and Monterey and are expected to be contentious. The sea otter's fate along Santa Barbara's coastline will certainly hinge on public support.

About the Speaker

Steve Shimek is founder and executive director of The Otter Project.