NFR Sea Otters and Green Crabs

[Stonedfish]

This popped up in my newsfeed this morning.
SF

Out-of-control invasive species has met its match: Cute and hungry otters

West coast states are spending millions to protect their inland waterways from invasive crabs. In some places, otters are just eating them.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Mossback]

 

[nwbobber]

I like Otters

 

[mcswny]

Where my truthers at?

 

[Matt B]

Big Otter and the MSM...it's tough to tell where one ends and the other begins.

 

[Canuck from Kansas]

... Yeah, eating crabs and making parking lots...

cheers

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Team Otter assemble!!

 

[Paige]

Thos Otter be interesting...

Attention delusional opinion

 

[FishyJere]

They shoulda otter...

 

[Mossback]

 

[Canuck from Kansas]

There otter be more threads like this ...

 

[mcswny]

There otter be more threads like this ...

Tis the season for the shack nasties.

 

[Mossback]

Otter be a law...

 

[_WW_]

Wasn't there a Bond movie...Otterpussy?

 

[bobduck]

 

[bobduck]

Was wondering if any college team had an otter as a mascot. There is. Cal state Monterey Bay Otters ! Baseball and basketball but no football. Almost as good looking as the Duck.

 

[Mossback]

Nothing tops the Fighting Banana Slugs though...

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

Basically the Otters wipe out every damn edible creature that exist where they live. Of course they will wipe out the invasive species. Just as effectively, as all the other native animal species. Does this prove that they are a benefit to a well balanced ecosystem (perhaps in this one unbalanced instance), or is this proof of their inherent ability to wipe out shellfish populations in general? Especially given the tenacity that the green crabs have shown? I DO NOT want to ruffle any feathers!.... but this article smacks of a pro otter puff piece (for profit) that could actually, easily be interpreted as vindication of their unique abilities to effectively destroy marine animal populations. Invasive or not.

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

Here in Anacortes the commercial crabbers are well aware of the potential destruction that the green crabs possess....Now, some ill-informed reader of this article could easily say to themselves... "Well hell, problem solved! Lets just reintroduce Sea Otters to the Salish Sea so that they can eat all the green crabs".... The saying "Throwing the baby out with the bath water" comes to mind. And please , please don't hate on me for my views on this subject. I get a lot of unkind vibes by discussing this. As most of you fly fisherman adamantly protect your rivers...I am simply trying to protect every kelp bed on the west coast...nothing more.

 

[FinLuver]

The wheels on the bus…