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During 1983, the Commission, in consultation with its 

 Committee of Scientific Advisors, compiled and reviewed 

 available information concerning the distribution, size, and 

 productivity of the southern sea otter population and the 

 nature and extent of possible threats from offshore oil and 

 gas development, fisheries, and other human activities. The 

 results of the review were conveyed to the Fish and Wildlife 

 Service by letter of 15 December 1983. In the letter, the 

 Commission noted that: the California sea otter population 

 apparently has not increased in more than a decade; the 

 range expansion, which was about five percent per year 

 through the 1960s, appears to have stopped; the best available 

 estimates indicate a present population of 1,200 to 1,500 

 independent animals producing 120 to 220 pups each year; 

 there was a substantial decrease in the number of. pups 

 counted in the spring of 1983 compared to the spring of 

 1982, possibly as a result of the severe coastal storms in 

 the winter and early spring of 1983; tanker traffic past the 

 sea otter range has increased, as was anticipated in 1977, 

 and presumably will continue to increase; it seems likely 

 that efforts to explore and develop offshore oil and gas 

 deposits in and near the sea otter's range will increase as 

 well; a new threat, the incidental taking of sea otters in 

 coastal gill net and trammel net fisheries, has been identified 

 since the California sea otter population was designated 

 "threatened" in 1977; because of the lack of population 

 expansion, recently recognized impacts of incidental take, 

 and the continued threat of oil spills from tanker accidents 

 and offshore oil and gas development, there can be no question 

 that the population should not be removed from the Endangered 

 Species List; and, if the Service is unable to eliminate or 

 substantially reduce the incidental kill, it should seriously 

 consider changing the status from "threatened" to "endangered." 



Because of the incidental kill problem and the threats 

 posed by projected increases in offshore oil and gas activity, 

 the Commission further recommended that the status of the 

 population be re-examined in late 1984. 



Incidental Take 



The incidental take of sea otters was insignificant or 

 unrecognized when the California sea otter population was 

 designated "threatened" in 1977. The existence and possible 

 significance of the problem was documented by the California 

 Department of Fish and Game and others in 1982. As noted in 



