Posted by Max Bottomtime on December 12, 2002 at 10:20:33:
In Reply to: "But I don't want the otters back" Seahunt posted by Steve on December 11, 2002 at 12:02:38:
The abalone population in P.V. is few and far between. There hasn't been an otter in sight for 100 years. The voracious destruction to the shellfish community has been at the hands of the two-legged mammals here. All this talk about "if you hunt, you hate otters" is simply one person's opinion that serves his own interests. I have nothing against hunting, but you need to realize that the marine life in California depends on each other for survival. Hunters should not have first choice of the seafood. You may not like it, but nature provides a kill or be killed lifestyle. Nearly every living in the ocean gets eaten sooner or later.
The MPAs are merely a bandaid on the problem. The only real resolution would be to cut pollution and over-fishing to acceptable levels and let nature take its own course. Animals naturally expand their boundries when their food supply is exhausted. As they spread out, the supply is allowed to grow back. Keeping otters, or any predator for that matter in a confined area is only asking for depletion of their food source, and ultimately the otters themselves. The best thing man can do to help nature is to butt out!