Killing Sea Otters for "Science"
by Cindy Lowry

On May 25, the final day for public comment, the Alliance learned of a proposed amendment to a federal research permit that would allow the killing of up to 20 sea otters. Notwithstanding the short notice, the Alliance filed comments with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) requesting that the permit be denied and for an extension of the public comment deadline and that public hearings be held. We also notified the media and garnered both newspaper and television coverage of this outrageous plan. In response to our request, we were notified that there would be a 30 day extension for comment due to "substantial new information pertaining to the amendment request." Public hearings were not granted.

Information obtained through our Freedom of Information Act request indicates that the biologist employed by the Alaska Science Center, an arm of the U.S. Geological Survey based in Anchorage, had originally received a scientific permit to capture, instrument with time depth recorders (TDR's) and recapture up to 100 sea otters in Alaska. The goal is to estimate the amount of foraging habitat available to sea otters and the size of the largest sea otter populations that could be sustained by available habitat. According to the latest version of the amendment to the research permit, it seems biologists have found it difficult to retrieve the TDR's and for convenience and cost efficiency, are asking to be allowed to kill the instrumented sea otters in southeast Alaska.

In Alliance comments dated July 25, we stated that it was ludicrous for the very agency entrusted with the protection of marine mammals to endorse a bad precedent for the lethal take of sea otters in the name of research. Simply because biologists have found it difficult to retrieve transmitters through live capture does not warrant killing sea otters for expediency.

Bona fide research projects should be determined by their utility and relevance. While the initial permit may have been for legitimate research purposes, it did not involve lethal take. Researchers should have been aware of the inherent difficulties with capturing sea otters and accepted that fact as part of doing business. At least one out of the twelve sea otters outfitted with transmitters has been recaptured, the instrumentation removed, and the otter released. Obviously, non-lethal methods of "taking" do work. It will just take a little more time and effort on the part of the research team.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) section 104(b)(2)(b) states that the manner in which an animal may be taken under an MMPA permit must be determined to be humane. According to 16 U.S.C. 1362 (4), "The term "humane" in the context of taking a marine mammal means that method of take which involves the least possible degree of pain and suffering practicable to the mammal involved." Lethal take is neither humane or justifiable for the purposes of this research project. As the agency charged with the protection of sea otters, it would be contrary to FWS's mission to allow the lethal take of these animals as requested by the Alaska Science Center. Hopefully, the agency will share our concern over this unprecedented request to kill sea otters in the name of science. A decision should be made soon - we'll keep you informed.