Help Friends of the Sea Otter free California's sea otters! Take action now and tell your congressperson to vote NO on H.R. 4043!
Last year the U.S. Fish and Willdife Service (FWS) proposed to end the No-Otter Zone off the coast of southern California, a region in which it is illegal for sea otters to swim.
We've tried to tell the sea otters not to swim into this zone, but for some reason they aren't understanding and continue to unknowingly expand into Southern California. Sea otters need your help to ensure they remain protected in their new home!
Last November, thousands of people like you sent letters to FWS in support of their proposed decision to end the no-otter zone. FWS is required to make a decision to end the zone by December 2012.
Unfortunately, special interests who oppose the sea otter's recovery have chosen not to wait until December.
Rep. Gallegly (R – Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties) introduced H.R. 4043, a bill that represents a huge handout to a small group of commercial fishermen by exempting the sea otter from protections under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act in Southern California.
This bill ignores the broad, long-term environmental and economic benefits associated with a balance ecosystem which can only exist in Southern California with the return of the sea otter. H.R. 4043 passed the House of Representatives as an amendment to the National Defense Authroization Act on May 18th!
We must act now to ensure ALL sea otters are fully protected!
Write to your senators today and urge them to OPPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON SEA OTTER PROTECTIONS and SUPPORT the recovery of the southern sea otter and a healthy coastal ecosystem.
The no-otter zone stretches from Point Conception, CA to the Mexican border. For more information about the no-otter zone and translocation program, click here.
