Current Situation - Sea otters are a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is now proposing to abandon a 20 year sea otter management program mandated by Congress, by changing to a "no management" program which would allow sea otters to go wherever they want.

Results of Abandonment - As a result, the FWS proposal will lead to the destruction of valuable California commercial and recreational fishing interests with potential devastating job and economic losses. Also the consumer will be faced with less seafood choices. For example, in 1999, when sea otters expanded their range without restriction, the commercial sea urchin harvest was devastated, falling over 95% in only one year in the area of expansion.

Conflict with Sea Otters Inevitable - Whenever sea otters have been allowed to go wherever they want, they have changed the ecosystem in surprising and unexpected ways. Unmanaged sea otter range expansion will almost certainly threaten the continued existence of the endangered white abalone and may also cause the black abalone to be added to the list of endangered species.

Unbalanced Resource Management - The failure to adequately address the effects of unmanaged sea otter range expansion on shellfish and other species is inconsistent with the requirements of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and sets the stage for irresponsible and unbalanced management of important ocean resources.

Actual Threats to Sea Otters Not Being Addressed - Unmanaged populations of sea otters ignores the real problem. With a current population of 2,800 and delisting number of 3,090 approximately 200 sea otters are dying annually most likely from pollutant discharges and poor water quality. If this problem was solved, the sea otter could be off the endangered list in two years.

FWS Violating its Own Regulations - Its own regulations requires that if FWS ends the current management program, the experimental population of sea otters at San Nicolas Island (SNI) must be moved back to the mainland. FWS now proposes to officially end the management program but leave the experimental population in place. This would presumably be done by rewriting the regulations and continuing to ignore the spirit of the law. This is now justified by concluding that relocating the sea otter is a primary threat to their survival.