Posted by Steve on December 15, 2002 at 15:39:30:
In Reply to: Re: Don't take my word for it.... posted by msblucow on December 15, 2002 at 13:47:42:
"The thing I find so shameful Steve, is that you're a fellow scientific diver at the AOP, and you won't even take the time to talk to the folks who work there to get your facts straight."
I'm insulted. When Seahunt made a claim last week that Sea Otters are an ecological disaster I did some research and what I found could not sucessfully rebut Seahunt claim so I am forced to agree with his assessment. You have not been able to rebut his claim either but you came out throwing punches and attaching the poster rather than the post itself.
"Where exactly do you get the facts and figures to back up this claim? What studies are you sighting?"
I got my facts on the otter diet from the exhibit at the AOP itself on type and quantity of food intake. Here' the cite and the quote. I own a book on Sea Otters written by Marianne Reidman with the Monterey Bay Aquarium name on it.
Resource Conflicts: Sea otters compete with people for shellfish, leading to conflicts between what's best for otters and what's best for commercial fishing industries. Most commercial shellfisheries cannot profitably co-exist with sea otters over along period of time because otters substantially reduce populations of abalones, clams and sea urchins. California's shellfish indutries were founded in the early 1900s when otters were scarce. Without otters, the shellfish flourished.
I would be happy to lose this debate about otters if someone can prove how great they are for the ecosystem but I'm afraid Seahunt is correct. You seem to be unable to accept the truth about otters or rebut the evidence. Try again with some real facts this time and stop obfuscating the issue with insults.