Otter Freedom

Santa Barbara City Council members voted 6-1 this week to
approve a final position on the controversial Southern Sea Otter
Management Program. Following up on City Council discussion late
last year, members decided to echo the recent assertion of the Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS) that the no-otter zone and its
associated – though no longer enforced – translocation program are
a failure. The council also made special mention of our local
commercial fishing fleet, urging the FWS to “afford protections”
for them in case of accidental otter deaths. The resolution
overturns the city’s 1999 resolution that pledged strong support
for the no-otter zone.