“Sea Otters To End West Coast Fishing”
The Anti-Fishing Sea Otter Lobby Has An Ethics Problem While Telling Fishermen They’ll “Just Have To Find Another Job.”
For decades, Julie Packard has spearheaded a campaign to curtail fishing under the guise of “conservation.” As this campaign has evolved, it has become a tale of precaution.
The campaign started as a need to save the sea otter. Did otters really need “saving?”
That is entirely debatable, and was, extensively. The result was clearly non-scientific and summarized as a “choice” between fishing or sea otters. Friends Of The Sea Otter shill Steve Schmeck was quoted saying fishermen need to suck it up and “find another job.”
There was bias, non-objective science created to justify the actions of illegally translocating otters to San Nicholas Is. off S. California. When these entities were discovered in this covert operation, a conflict arose. The result of this conflict was Congress creating a law (No-Otter Zone PL99-625) that was compulsory for USFWS to manage otters. The service openly/willfully disobeyed Congress.
By not enforcing the otter management zone, otters wreaked havoc on the ecosystem. We have seen what happens when a keystone predator goes unmanaged. The entire trophic cascade topples.
The California urchin divers took issue and were represented by Pacific Legal Foundation in litigation. USFWS cited inability to manage the otter population. Additionally, several laws/acts determine legal roadblocks for their activities (Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act). The litigation ended with SCOTUS denying hearing the case. The result was USFWS having zero oversight and getting away with lying and breaking the law.
This was a learning process for Julie Packard. All of this is directly sourced from Monterey Bay Aquarium. As with many social issues facing us today, ethics and accountability seem absent.
Fast forward to today:
The Monterey Bay Aquarium & Julie Packard have infiltrated the government -(http://www.fishtruth.net/
Julie Packard was in on the marketing of Change.org, the petition website designed for social change (engineering). She is quoted saying “we will change the world with our army of nonprofits.” Well, she certainly is and she has help.
A revived campaign is underway from Julie employing yet another non-profit named seaottersavvy.org. – (https://www.seaottersavvy.
The ethics conundrum is evident in that the “team” consists of CDWF staff… a Gov. employee.
Also on this staff are persons from Monterey Bay Aquarium, UC Santa Cruz and the sea otter lobby. Conflict much? Of this staff, some were understudies at UCSC and Prof. Jim Estes, the renowned “expert” on sea otters who has a track record of marginal, biased studies. Estes edited a paper titled “Sea Otters – Keystone Species Or, Just Another Brick In The Wall.” This writer happens to be a fan of Jethro Tull. There is another song titled “Thick As A Brick” and it is applicable.
The intent is to resume sea otter translocation to N. California & Oregon. Again, this is illegal.
President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) into law on December 27, 2020. This Act includes a provision instructing the Agency to conduct the following one-year study and report to Congress:
Sea Otters. – The Committee recognizes that sea otters play a critical ecological role in the marine environment as a keystone species that significantly affects the structure and function of the surrounding ecosystem. However, sea otters were effectively eliminated from the Pacific Coast of the United States by hunters and traders during the 1700s and 1800s. The Committee directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study the feasibility and cost of reestablishing sea otters on the Pacific Coast of the contiguous United States, and to report to Congress on the results of such a study within one year of passage of this bill.
This feasibility study is complemented by a webinar Wed. Sept. 22 @ 5pm – (Link URLhttps://us02web.zoom.us/
This webinar touts “New ecological paradigms informing the recovery of sea otters in northern California.” Now, just wait a minute… introducing otters to San Francisco and points north are to restore the ecosystem? These are their actual words. Resoundingly, INSANE. The current conditions of north coast ecosystems couldn’t support any form of carrying capacity (food resources). And to have sea otters in SF Bay? Um, big NO. The water quality in the bay is atrocious. During the otter debate, there was a paper written known as “The Dobbins Report.” This report is the reason the location of the no otter zone was determined. It was based solely upon water quality. S. California is not fit for otter health. So, we are to believe San Francisco Bay is?
One can’t even fathom this excuse. It goes against every precedent. What can possibly be the motivator for this approach? Well’ one can deduct it may have something to do with the anti-fishing agenda? One could speculate even further by considering Julie’s Monterey Bay Aquarium MSC labeling and the professed “sustainable Agenda?” We’ll leave that there for you to ponder.
A Perfect Response
There is hope on the horizon. There was no contact or invitation of stakeholders in this venture. However, individuals from the California Sea Urchin Commission are intervening once again. This feasibility study is a government directive. The fishing industry and associated economic entities have the right and responsibility to represent as stakeholders in any of this and the Brown Act should apply.
A detailed response letter – (LinkURL https://docs.google.com/
I encourage everyone to read this letter as it reads as a “paradigm” for future management of resources. Resources, “Common Resources” are public property, a right. Not a privilege and not owned by anyone. A major roadblock to the conservation and management of our resources is the existing management format. There are different species managed by different entities that reside in the same trophic cascade. Sea otter management contradicts itself. This conundrum is repeated elsewhere with other species. Management is no longer holistic. Rather it is divided. Unable to respond to the needs of nature.
This happened when Fish & Game changed the game, changing its name to Fish & Wildlife. The department took on a position of preservation. When this happened the species were taken out of the cascade equation and myopic management occurred.
The lobby that coerces the bureaucracy is the enemy of sound science. Public opinion should have no say. Holistic observance of the trophic cascade is the only influence that should guide management policy.
Join Us and help restore the truth and sound management of our resources. This isn’t just about sea otters, this is about failed management, ethics and common resources.
Send us an email to be on our list while we rapidly assemble a proper format. This event is coming at us fast and furious. It is important we respond as a community.
Written by Jeff Crumley
CA. Sea Urchin Diver
