You may download the complete report by clicking the link below: Draft Sea Otter Recovery Plan Jun/2000 - PDF Format (458KB) In 1990, the Washington Wildlife Commission adopted procedures for listing and delisting species as endangered, threatened, or sensitive and for writing recovery and management plans for listed species (WAC 232-12-297, Appendix A). The procedures, developed by a group of citizens, interest groups, and state and federal agencies, require preparation of recovery plans for species listed as threatened or endangered. Recovery, as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is "the process by which the decline of an endangered or threatened species is arrested or reversed, and threats to its survival are neutralized, so that its long-term survival in nature can be ensured." The sea otter is classified as an endangered species in Washington (WAC 232-12-014). Recovery, as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is "the process by which the decline of an endangered or threatened species is arrested or reversed, and threats to its survival are neutralized, so that its long-term survival in nature can be ensured." This document summarizes the historic and current distribution and abundance of the sea otter in Washington, describes factors affecting the population and its habitat, and prescribes strategies to recover the species in Washington. This is the Draft Washington State Recovery Plan for the Sea Otter. It is available for a 90-day public comment period. Please submit written comments on this report by 1 October 2000 to: Endangered Species Section Manager Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 600 Capitol Way N Olympia WA 98501 wildthing@dfw.wa.gov

Draft Sea Otter Recovery Plan: Executive Summary See also: Results of the 2001 Survey of the Reintroduced Sea Otter Population in Washington State Sea otters thrived off the coast of Washington for thousands of years before they were extirpated by an intensive harvest for their valuable pelts. From about 1911 to 1969, sea otters were absent from the state, but in 1969 and 1970, 59 otters were reintroduced to the coast from Amchitka Island, Alaska. After a decade of questionable status, the Washington sea otter population began to increase steadily. From 1989 to 1999, the population grew at an average annual rate of about 11%. The most recent survey, in July 1999, found 605 individuals. The recent sea otter range in Washington has extended from Destruction Island to Neah Bay, with concentrations in the vicinities of Destruction Island, Cape Johnson, Sand Point, Cape Alava, and Makah Bay. The current distribution differs from the pre-exploitation range, which extended south to the Columbia River with a major concentration off Point Grenville. Some authorities consider further expansion of Washington's sea otter population unlikely, while others consider it inevitable. It is not possible to predict whether the population will continue to grow and spread and, if so, at what rate and in which direction. Sea otters feed primarily on benthic invertebrates, consuming many pounds of prey each day to meet their high metabolic needs. They consume shellfish species—urchins, abalones, clams, crabs—important to commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries, yet through their predation on sea urchins, they may, in some circumstances, indirectly enhance the growth of kelp and kelp-associated communities. Sea otters are vulnerable to oil spills and may eventually be harvested by Indian tribes. These issues and others, combined with the species' popular appeal, will complicate management and recovery of sea otters in Washington, as they have in Alaska and California. The goals of the sea otter recovery plan are: 1) to outline strategies that will assure a self-sustaining sea otter population in Washington through the foreseeable future, and 2) to manage the Washington sea otter stock in a manner consistent with the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, state and federal laws, and court rulings. The sea otter will be considered for downlisting to State Threatened status when the following three conditions are met: 1) a population of at least 500 sea otters has existed in Washington for at least 5 consecutive years; 2) the Washington sea otter population is distributed such that a single catastrophic event, such as a major oil spill, would be unlikely to cause its extirpation; and 3) management plans or agreements by the state's sea otter co-managers are in place that provide for the continued viability of the sea otter in Washington. Downlisting to State Sensitive status will be considered when the population reaches 1,850 otters and criteria 2 and 3 above are met. For more information on wildlife management issues, please contact WDFW Wildlife Management Program. Phone: 360-902-2515 E-mail: wildthing@dfw.wa.gov Files formatted in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. You can download the free reader directly from Adobe. Windows versions are approximately 4MB in size.

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