Defenders of Wildlife Blog

This blog post is a joint collaboration by Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

A coalition of organizations welcomed news that California’s struggling sea otters may soon get a big boost thanks to a draft plan released by federal wildlife officials today. The plan would end a controversial “no-otter” zone on the California coast and allow the marine mammals to re-colonize their traditional habitat.

California sea otters are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 1986, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) implemented a translocation program that removed otters from the shoreline of Southern California and relocated them to San Nicolas Island, with the hope of establishing a second viable population that would protect the species in the event of any environmental disaster. At the same time, FWS implemented a “no-otter” zone south of Point Conception in which otters would be removed and transported back north of the zone’s boundary.

Translocation failed to promote otter recovery, and FWS subsequently determined that enforcement of the “no-otter” zone violates the ESA by jeopardizing the species’ recovery due to harm to the species during transport. FWS has long recognized that natural range expansion is necessary to achieve species recovery for the California sea otter.

For the next 60 days, FWS is soliciting public input on the proposal before making a final decision. Conservation groups that have been focused on efforts to aid the otter’s recovery were quick to commend FWS’ proposal to end the translocation program and allow for the species’ natural range expansion.

Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, issued the following statement:

“Today is a good day for California sea otters. We support an end to the ineffective and harmful translocation program and “no-otter” management zone. For sea otters to have a real shot at recovery, they must be allowed to return to their historic range off the coast of Southern California. If sea otters thrive again throughout their historic range, the entire marine ecosystem will benefit.”

How you can help:

The Fish and Wildlife Service is scheduled to open its 60-day comment period in the next week or so. We will provide a link on our www.saveseaotters.org web page when it’s available so you can let the FWS know that you want the no-otter zone gone!

(An irregular column to capture insults to wildlife)

It seems hard to believe that the Florida manatee would have many enemies, but it appears that the gentle giant has more to worry about these days than deadly boat propellers. The Tea Party, joined by the Crystal River City Council and Citrus County Commission, has come out in opposition to new restrictions on boating and other human activities proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the state’s slow-moving mammals.

Unsafe Sanctuary

Due to its naturally occurring warm water springs, Kings Bay, Fla. has been increasingly popular among wintering manatees. But a controversial summer water sport zone, which allows fast-moving boats to zoom through the bay, poses a deadly threat to the animals. In fact, Pat Rose of the Save the Manatee Club said, ”I don’t know of a more dangerous place for manatees in the summer.”

If the proposed regulations are approved, all of Kings Bay would become a refuge, and a set of temporary rules posted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this winter would become permanent. The rules enable the federal agency to establish closed areas or other rules anywhere in the bay, such as in the event of a cold front or after manatee season has closed. A move like this would be great news for manatees, and the 100,000 people who show up each year to see them.

Unfounded Allegations

Not everyone is cheering the regulations. Edna Mattos, the leader of the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots, is coming out strong against the marine mammals. According to the St. Petersburg Times, she claims the protections elevate nature about humans, a move that’s “against the Bible and the Bill of Rights,” and that protections will erode private property rights, particularly for those citizens with docks.

Huh? Apparently she hasn’t done her homework. According to Rose, people whose property sits on a manatee sanctuary (where boat traffic is not allowed) may have to get stickers on their boats allowing them exclusive access, but that’s it. That’s a compromise that even Mattos – who admits she enjoys showing off the animals to her grandchildren – shouldn’t find much to complain about.

Kings Bay is a part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge created for the purpose of protecting manatees. And with manatee deaths reaching a record high last year, protecting this area is more important than ever. By moving forward with the proposal, the Fish and Wildlife Service will help the refuge better serve its purpose – to safeguard this vulnerable and unique animal.

Learn more:

Read more about Florida manatees and what Defenders is doing to protect them.

See how YOU can help manatees make way to warmer waters.

Photo courtesy of USFWS

Kayla DiBenedetto is a fisheries biologist in the Baton Rouge Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Louisiana.

“The way I figure it, for the last 3 ½ years I have had the best of two worlds: I’m working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doing what I love; and my field station is located in my hometown. I was born and raised in Baker, LA, 30 minutes north of Baton Rouge.  So I guess you could say that Louisiana’s coasts and wetlands with their abundant fish and wildlife resources are my “native habitat” and have helped shape who I am today. Read the full story

Meet Ron Britton, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. Ron started working on oil spills first as a biologist and then biological oceanographer. He worked on Exxon Valdez oil spill and is now helping with the crisis down in the Gulf of Mexico.

While down in the Gulf, he told Defenders, “You have to finally get to a point that emergency medical response teams have to get to, where you know you’re doing a good thing, amidst all the things around you that don’t seem  so appealing or attractive, and you just have to try to do the best job.”

Jack Bohannan works with the Coast Guard on Breton NWR. Photo credit USFWS/Greg Thompson

 Jack Bohannan is the  Refuge Manager of for Delta, Breton and Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuges in Southeast Louisiana.

Defenders asked him to tell us a little bit about how he’s dealing with the Gulf oil disaster.

Oil operations and the challenges that go with them are the part of the job when you work on refuges along the Gulf Coast. In fact, when the news broke about the Deepwater Horizon disaster, my staff and I were dealing with a 500-barrel spill in the heart of Delta Refuge caused by a spud barge striking a 10-inch pipeline. What’s happening now, however, is a whole new ball game. Read the full story

Jereme Phillips, courtesy of Jennifer Strickland, USFWS

Jereme Phillips has been with the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 11 years. He is the Refuge Manager at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Gulf Shores, Alabama. 

Defenders: Jereme, what is your role in addressing the disaster in the Gulf?

Jereme: My primary role is to protect refuge wildlife and habitats from the oil spill. My staff and I also coordinate closely with the unified command to ensure that the response to the oil spill (surveys, cleanup, boom deployment) is directed to help protect the most sensitive refuge resources and so that any negative impacts are avoided. For example, we mark sea turtle and migratory bird nesting areas so that crews who need to use all-terrain vehicles can do so without affecting nests. Read the full story