Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are aquatic carnivores that reside in coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean, including waters by the United States, Japan, Canada, Russia and Mexico. This species of sea otter is actually native to the Eurasia. If you live in California, donate to the California Sea Otter Fund when you file your taxes . The sea otter is endangered because hunters and fisherman killed them for their fur and because they ate too many fish. Sea otters usually live for a … These incidents, however, are occurring less frequently due to the various endangered species acts that … One of our main focuses is protecting endangered species. For example: all sea otters are endangered but only the California sea otter is listed on the Endangered Species Act. We need you to answer this question! The sea otter was protected in 1911 under the International Fur Seal Treaty signed by the United States, Russia, Japan, and Great Britain for Canada. Thanks to the California sea otter, the otters mentioned above have been given some protection, just not at the level it is needed. Read more about what is currently happening with species at risk in Canada. As predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems. No, but some sea otter populations are endangered. Comparing about the size of european sea otter the male will be bigger than … Today, the otter is protected under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Wildlife Act. Another endangered sea otter species is known as the european otter, also known as eurasian river otter, common otter, and old world otter. Once extinct in Canada, this endangered species has been reintroduced and now numbers around 900. They eat many of the same types of shellfish that humans like to eat, such as sea urchins, lobsters and crabs. Sea otters are listed as an endangered species because they are vulnerable to oil spills from ships and coastal tanker traffic. Sea Otter. Sea otters are the smallest species of marine mammal, and one of the most vulnerable endangered species in North America. Not only do they form strong pair bonds that often last years, but they also hold hands (or rather paws!) By 1911, less than two thousand Sea Otters remained in the world. Sea otters are legally listed as Threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) but have recently been reassessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as Special Concern as they have re-populated 25-33% of their historic … By the early 20th century when sea otters were nearly hunted out of existence for their fur, kelp beds disappeared and so did the marine life that depended on kelp. Sea otters often rest together in single-sex groups called rafts. As a result, some fisherman view sea otters as competition and set traps in which they become entangled and drown. These smallish creatures once had a rather sizable population throughout their home bases. Moreover, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is responsible for the protection of sea otters in California and southwest Alaska. Though their numbers are still small, their effect on the ecosystem is great. Their numbers slowly increased, and their endangered status was downgraded to threatened in 1996, then to special concern in 2007. They are regarded as an endangered species by international regulations, and without additional protection, they may become extinct in the near future. In the last major study by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, done in 2008, the sea otter population in Canada was estimated at 4,700. Without sea otters, sea urchins would devour the kelp forests off the coast that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. 2. Once extinct from Canada, the sea otter has successfully been … While resting at the surface, a sea otter will often times hold its forepaws above the water surface and fold its hind feet up onto to its torso to help conserve heat. In Canada it is scarce, except along the BC coast, where it is abundant and often wrongly identified as a sea otter. Because otters live and sleep almost exclusively in the The sea otters in Canada are preserved through Species at Risk Act. Why are Sea Otters at risk? Sea otters are the second smallest marine mammal, and the second largest member of the Mustelidae, or weasel, family. Worldwide there are 12 species of otters. However they are not very helpful to those in Russia, Japan, Alaska, and Canada. For example, sea otters sometimes get caught in fishing nets and traps. They are protected by the federal government’s Canada Fisheries Act, and the … The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal that was listed as a species of “Special Concern” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in March 2009. sea otter population was downlisted to threatened in 1996 by the Committee of the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and through the B.C. Canada was missing its smallest marine animal until 1969, when 89 Alaskan sea otters were relocated to Checleset Bay, off northwest Vancouver Island.