through June 1989, there were 19 reports and 8 verified sightings 

 of groups of one to three animals, all of which were located just 

 inside the northern end of the Management Zone. As was the case 

 during the first year, sea otters sighted in the Management Zone 

 apparently did not remain there. Surveys carried out by the 

 Service of all offshore islands and the mainland south of Point 

 Conception did not reveal any resident sea otters. 



Modification of the Translocation Plan 



The Translocation Plan adopted by the Fish and Wildlife 

 Service in August 1987 authorized the Service to translocate up 

 to 70 sea otters a year, but totaling no more than 250 otters in 

 a five-year period. The Plan required, among other things, that: 

 up to 2 of the otters translocated each year were to be adults; 

 captures could be conducted only from August through mid-October 

 when weather conditions generally are good; a minimum of 20 

 otters must be translocated at a time and, once at San Nicolas 

 Island, the otters must be transferred to a stationary floating 

 pen and held for up to five days before release. 



As discussed in the previous Annual Report, experience 

 gathered during the first year of the translocation effort 

 indicated that some of these provisions were hindering rather 

 than helping the effort. Therefore, during 1988 the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service took steps to revise regulations regarding the 

 Translocation Plan to: provide more flexibility in selecting the 

 ages of otters for translocation; eliminate the requirement to 

 capture otters only from August to mid-October; eliminate the 

 requirement to surgically implant up to 30 sea otters with radio 

 transmitters; provide flexibility to either transport captured 

 otters immediately or hold them on the mainland before transport 

 to San Nicolas Island; and eliminate the requirement to 

 translocate a minimum of 20 otters at a time and to hold the 

 otters at San Nicolas before release. The revised regulations 

 took effect on 27 September 1988. In promulgating the revised 

 regulations, the Service noted that the majority of the animals 

 to be translocated each year were to be weaned, immature sea 

 otters with a sex ratio of about 4 to 1 females to males. Of the 

 adult sea otters selected for translocation, approximately three 

 out of every four animals were to be female. 



Following the second year of experience in translocating sea 

 otters and consultation with the reconstituted Sea Otter Recovery 

 Team (see below) , the Service concluded that it would be 

 advisable to revise further the translocation regulations. A 

 preliminary draft of the proposed revisions was circulated to the 

 Commission and others in mid-October 1989. Among other things, 

 the Service proposed to: provide greater flexibility in 

 selecting the ages of otters moved; permit translocation of 

 females with dependent pups; and modify restrictions on the 



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