In June, a team from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently traveled to Astoria, Newport and other coastal towns in Oregon and Northern California to meet with community members about the possible reintroduction of sea otters to Oregon and Northern California. Starting in the 1700s, the marine mammals were nearly hunted to extinction from Alaska to California for the maritime fur trade, and disappeared from Oregon’s coastal waters in the early 1900s.  

Last year, the USFWS released a report which found that reintroducing sea otters would be “biologically feasible,” and could help restore kelp forests, along with other benefits to the nearshore environment. But big challenges and uncertainties remain, including the impact on the Dungeness crab and other fisheries. Joining us to talk about this issue is Michele Zwartjes, supervisor for the Oregon Coast Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

We also hear from the Elakha Alliance, a nonprofit based in Siletz that has been advocating for more than five years for the return of sea otters to the Oregon coast, including publishing its own reintroduction feasibility study in 2021. Jane Bacchieri is the executive director of the Elakha Alliance. Peter Hatch is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and a secretary and board member of the Elakha Alliance. They join us to talk about the cultural importance of sea otters to Indigenous communities, and what their return would signify.