ESA Protections

In August 2022, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a positive 90-day finding regarding a petition from the sea urchin fishery in California to remove the southern sea otter subspecies (also known as the California sea otter) from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) list of threatened species. The USFWS is currently performing a species status review, which will inform the agency’s 12-month finding on whether delisting is warranted. 

The southern sea otter was hunted ruthlessly by 18^th and 19^th century fur traders and, by the 1930s, was thought to be extinct—until a remnant population was found sheltering in the Monterey Bay area. The subspecies was listed as threatened under the ESA in 1977, and the population has grown to about 2,900 since—a mere fraction of its historical population size. AWI submitted comments asserting that the delisting petition fails to present sufficient evidence that the southern sea otter has recovered and no longer needs ESA protection. 

A listing under the ESA could raise the profile of this little-known species, make more funding available for essential research to scientists working with Atlantic humpback dolphin populations, and foster international cooperation to improve conservation efforts. NMFS made a positive 90-day finding on our petition, triggering a year-long status review. Meanwhile, an international group of biologists and others have formed the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin(CCAHD), which has made good progress with field studies and stakeholder engagement efforts. NMFS consulted extensively with CCAHD during its status review and issued a proposed rule to list the species as endangered in April. Following the comment period, which ended June 6, NMFS will have until April 2024 to make a final decision.

Program Terms: Marine Wildlife

AWI Quarterly Terms: Government/Legal, Quick Read