Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
I've said what I wanted to say, as usual, I will endure the unkind vibes. I forgive those that refuse my knowledge, for I know of the extent at which they have been deceived.
NFR Sea Otters and Green Crabs
- Thread starter Stonedfish
- Start date
Non-fishing related
Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
Apparently the Otters have been effective in wiping out the (invasive) green crabs in this one particular slough. After all, thats what they do...wipe out populations of shell fish. Now, that might be a benefit to this particular slough, that was invaded by a destructive invasive species, but that only serves to underscore the fact that the Sea Otter's destructive nature is indeed a devastating force of nature.....that we must not release on our healthy kelp beds. There is a very good reason otters are not currently allowed to be part of the Southern California kelp bed ecosystems......they are simply devastatingly destructive. Three raccoons locked up in your kitchen over the weekend type of destructive.
Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
It's almost as if the article was saying "Three raccoons were left in a filthy kitchen full of rancid meat and maggots. After the weekend the kitchen was much cleaner. Maybe we should all use raccoons to clean our kitchens".
Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
I'm trying to stay out of the fray, but dang it, it feels like powerful entities are purposefully trying to screw up my beloved kelp beds. Bending the truth, creating false narratives, pushing falsehoods and down right lies.....No fly fisherman could stand back silently and let that happen to a trout stream that he loved without voicing his opinion.....could they?
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
Otters don't destroy kelp beds, and you still refuse to listen to the several scientific articles that prove that you're wrong, and cant suport you OPINION with any facts or data.
Maybe your a little oxygen deprived, I don't know, but I'm sure your gonna die on that sword of .....
Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
Paige, I agree with you. Sea otters do not destroy kelp beds. They can definitely enhance the growth of kelp. That being said... they will always completely destroy the shellfish living on the rocks below the kelp canopy ..and then continue to feed on the fin fish that swim in the water below the kelp canopy. That is where a lot of the misinformation/ confusion regarding the effects of Otters "benefiting" the "health" of a kelp bed comes into play. Otters can often be good for kelp growth, but the the entire ecosystem of the reefs that exist below that kelp bed are simply devastated. ALWAYS.
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Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
Yet kelp forest are doing just fine everywhere ip and down the Pacific coast, and Otters are a vital part of the ecosystem.
Except in your mind, and have nothing other than opinion.
Show us something other than opinion!
Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
Paige. I'll ask a question. Why do you think that California Fish And Game has, for decades, actively kept the spread of Sea otters to a minimum in its southern waters? Is it because they are a vital part of the ecosystem? Or maybe, just maybe...they are so destructive that they would completely destroy the valuable resources (such as Lobster) and completely devastate the kelp bed ecosystems.
Jim in Anacortes
Life of the Party
I can discuss this issue till the cows come home. But I will endeavor to never demean other posters that have differing opinions. After all, the OP article clearly states that Sea Otters are cute, fury and hungry....so I can see how that might blind some people to the real life facts of the implications of reintroducing them...which would surely result in destroying our reefs that are below our kelp beds.
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That's not accurate. The Oregon coast is losing it's kelp forests at a very rapid rate. Purple urchins. And Oregon has very few otters.
New report shows how Oregon’s kelp forests have dwindled
According to a status report released by the Oregon Kelp Alliance in November, nearly 900 acres of bull kelp forest has essentially disappeared off the Oregon Coast since 2010.
www.opb.org
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
Remove the Otters and the sea urchins turn it into a parking lot, just like southern California!
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
No, California is trying to increase the sea otter population:
Recovery efforts
The Monterey Bay Aquarium, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Marine Mammal Center work together to rescue, rehabilitate, and release stranded sea otters. The Aquarium also educates the public about sea otters and collaborates on research.
Legislation
Defenders of Wildlife has supported legislation to:
Establish the California Sea Otter Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund
Mandate warning signs on containers of “flushable” kitty litter
Phase out the use of drift gillnets in California waters
Rewilding
Mossy Earth is part of a mission to keep Southern sea otter populations safe and above water.
Protection
California declared the sea otter a “fully protected mammal” in 1913, making it a “high misdemeanor” to kill or possess them. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 also prohibit the hunting, capturing, killing, or harassment of marine mammals.
Sea otters are important to the health of the nearshore marine environments they inhabit. Their presence has helped these regions flourish, expand, and see a surge in biodiversity.
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
New study shows sea otters helped prevent widespread California kelp forest declines over the past century
Monterey Bay Aquarium researchers strengthen the link between sea otters and long-term health of California kelp forests in a new study released today. The paper, published in the journal PLOS Climate, finds that sea otter population growth during the last century enhanced kelp forest resilience...