A big reward is waiting for people who can give useful information about who shot dead three sea otters off the Central Coast. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's reward of $10,000 for the whistleblowers has been raised to $20,000 after the Center for Biological Diversity announced a similar amount on top of it.
Those with information on the sea otter shootings can call the CalTIP line at (888) 334-2258 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (650) 876-9078.
There is apparent shock over the killing of cute and furry creatures. One report describes how they bring a smile to the face of onlookers, and animal rights advocates are enraged by the wanton killings.
In the recent episode, two juvenile otter males and an adult male were killed between late July and early August. The dead bodies were washed up between Santa Cruz Harbor and Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, according to reports.
The anguish was palpable in the words of officials.
"We are all just aghast that something like that would happen. [The shooters] are breaking the law, and they are killing this animal that is just loved by people," said Dave Feliz, manager of the Elkhorn Slough Reserve, said.
Sea otters, also known as California otters, are mostly found in the waters between San Mateo and Santa Barbara counties. Faced with the threat of extinction from predators, they have been declared a threatened species in 1977 and are awarded legal protection. The Endangered Species Act mandates punishment of up to $100,000 in fines and prison term for killing a sea otter.
According to California Diver, a survey held in 2007 showed that the population of sea otters in California was a little more than 3,000. California also holds the distinction of being the only place where the southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) are clustered in big numbers.
There are some 1,200 otters at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary but their population is stagnant. These ocean animals do face the anger of fishermen who struggle to catch seafood like sea urchin and abalone, which are the favorites of sea otters.
According to Steve Shimek, executive director of the Otter Project, some fishermen might run over otters with boats to scare them away from their fishing areas.
Taking a cruel step like shooting animals is unacceptable, Shimek said, even if the person is in a state of anger. The California sea lions are also facing a similar plight, he added.
In 2013, there was an escalation in the killings of sea otters and many were found dead at Asilomar State Beach, according to Mike Harris, senior environmental scientist at the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Photo: Mike Baird | Flickr
