[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19919]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATING SEA OTTER AWARENESS WEEK (SOAW)

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the 4th 
Annual Sea Otter Awareness Week, September 24-30, 2006, sponsored by 
Defenders of Wildlife. This week-long event provides the opportunity to 
broadly educate the public about sea otters, their natural history, the 
integral role that sea otters play in the near-shore marine ecosystem 
and the conservation issues they are facing. The work done by such 
groups as Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Sea Otter, The Otter 
Project, and The Ocean Conservancy to recover the southern or 
California sea otter has raised public awareness and helped protect 
this important species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the 
Endangered Species Act. Greatly due to their efforts, Governor 
Schwarzenegger recently signed California Assembly Bill 2485 into law 
to codify the protections for this important species.
  The southern sea otter population has increased considerably from 
less than 100 otters in the 1930's to more than 2,500 today, though 
still significantly less than what is necessary to consider the 
population stable. Since otters continue to face many direct and 
indirect threats to their full recovery, I introduced H.R. 2323, the 
Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act. I am also working with my 
colleagues to secure funding to support a continued and complete 
recovery of the population.
  In the past, one of the main threats to the species was the killing 
of the animals for their fur. However, the decrease in their population 
that we have seen in recent years is increasingly due to indirect 
hazards (e.g., non-point pollution, pathogens, entrapment in fisheries 
gear) that are being identified. Such realizations support the need for 
continued research and preventive measures to respond to these issues, 
while continuing to ward against the direct killings/takings that still 
occur.
  The decline of southern sea otter populations not only has impacts on 
the species itself, but also affects other marine populations and the 
surrounding ecosystem. For instance, the demise of sea otters allows 
their prey sea urchins to proliferate unchecked, which leads to the 
alarming overgrazing of kelp beds--one of the oceans nursery grounds 
for many marine animals. In particular, research shows that the absence 
of sea otters has a direct link to the sharp decline of kelp along 
portions of California's coast. Sea otter research also has proven to 
be an effective method of monitoring toxins and diseases in the marine 
environment, both of which can affect the health of humans and other 
wildlife.
  The presence of the California sea otter has become an icon of the 
state's coastal environment and culture, and these charismatic animals 
bring significant tourism revenue to Californian coastal communities. 
Protecting them is not only directly advantageous to the otter 
population, but also fosters indirect benefits on a greater scale.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud the many accomplishments of Defenders of 
Wildlife and other non-profit environmental organizations, working with 
the Monterey Bay Aquarium, researchers, fishermen, state and federal 
agencies, schools, and many other institutions and individuals, who 
devote tremendous effort to protect and recover the southern/California 
sea otter. Sea Otter Awareness Week is just one of their many 
activities geared towards honoring and saving this species, and I am 
proud to be associated with this vital work.

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