Sea Otter Population Counts 

 by the Fish and Wildlife Service and 

 the California Department of Fish and Game 1982-1987 



1982 Spring 

 Fall 



1983 Spring 

 Fall 



1984 Spring 



Independent 

 Otters 



1124 

 1194 



1131 

 1062 



1181 



1988 Spring** 



1505 



Pups 



222 



144 



120 

 164 



123 



236 



155 



225 

 113 



220 



104 



219 



Total 



1346 

 1338 



1251 

 1226 



1304 



1360 * 

 1221 * 



1570 * 

 1201 * 



1650 * 

 1367 * 



1724 * 



Surveys conducted since implementation of State bans 

 on use of entanglement nets beginning in January 1985 



** A fall count was not done in 1988. 



sites not likely to be affected by an oil spill in or near 

 the population's current range. The Service concurred with 

 the Commission's recommendation and, as described in previous 

 Commission Reports, initiated efforts in 1981 to identify and 

 evaluate possible translocation sites, develop a translocation 

 plan, and assess the possible environmental and other conse- 

 quences of the proposed action. 



Questions concerning the legal authority for, and other 

 aspects of, the Fish and Wildlife Service's translocation 

 proposal were raised and considered during Congressional 

 hearings on reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act 

 held in the spring of 1985. At the end of 1985, Congress 

 enacted legislation authorizing continued appropriations to 

 the Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies responsible 

 for implementing the Act. As part of this legislation, Congress 

 required that the Fish and Wildlife Service move forward with 

 its decision-making on the proposed sea otter translocation. 



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