Sea otter recovery yields more benefits than costs, UBC study finds

摘要

After sea otters were hunted to near extinction by the maritime fur trade, they were reintroduced to the Pacific coast in the 1970s. Their rapid recovery and voracious appetite for tasty shellfish such as urchins, clams, and crabs has brought them into conflict with coastal communities and fishers, who rely on the same valuable fisheries for food and income.But the long-term benefits of thriving otter populations - such as healthier kelp forests, higher fish catches, carbon storage, and tourism - could be worth as much as $53 million per year, according to new University of British Columbia research. If well-managed, these economic benefits could offset commercial losses to shellfish fisheries of $7 million per year.