Southern Sea Otter, the Process to Translocate and the Results of the Initial Year, August 1987 - August 1988

A successful translocation programme requires success in research, law enforcement and containment efforts inclusively. If successful, the translocation will establish a second breeding colony of southern sea otters (contained within a designated zone) and accomplish certain goals and requirements of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The second colony will : 1) reduce the probability that more than a small proportion of the population could be decimated by any single natural or man-caused catastrophe; and 2) allow additional data to be obtained for assessing translocation and containment techniques, population status, and the influence of sea otters on the nearshore marine community, which will facilitate a better understanding of the characteristics and impacts of a sea otter population at an optimum sustainable level. In 1987, 45 sea otters were captured from the southern third of the Californian sea otter range, and translocated to San Nicolas Island. One year later, only 14 were known to still be at the new location. The success of the initial year's effort at reestablishing a founder population at San Nicolas Island is less than expected. However, based on the Washington State translocation example, it may take many years before the success of the translocation at San Nicolas Island can be determined. Although the habitat round San Nicolas Island appears to be able to support a large population, many sea otters have returned to their parent range, or passed through Management and No Otter Zones. From this first year, a number of lessons about how to go about the capture and relocation process have been learned.