A love like no otter

Group floats the idea of restoring sea otters to Oregon

By Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

February is the month that puts a microscope on relationships: are you in one at all, are you in a good one, could you do better? But it’s a different type of relationship that Robert Bailey, board president of the Elakha Alliance, will be talking about at the Oregon State University Extension office in Newport on Thursday, Feb. 16.

During the talk, “Sea Otters in Oregon: the Road to Return,” Bailey will discuss why groups like the Elakha Alliance think sea otters are critical to cultural and ecological relationships.

“I’m going to start at the beginning,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even know about sea otters, that we had them here and that they were wiped out, why they are important, the cultural relationship with indigenous people and what the prospects are for bringing them back.”

Once common, sea otters were hunted nearly to extinction for their rich fur by the early 1900s. Although they have returned elsewhere, they remain absent from the Oregon Coast.

Sea otters in a healthy relationship with their natural environment aren’t just one of the cutest creatures in the animal kingdom, they also play a critical role in the health of our marine environment. By predating upon the sea urchin population, they keep their numbers in check. That, in turn, keeps those urchins from overeating the local kelp. Kelp beds are where the magic happens: kelp forests attract and retain eggs, larvae and juveniles of many species of fish and shellfish, including those of commercial importance.

Bailey, who grew up on the Oregon Coast and has a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science from Portland State University, said that while the alliance was formed in 2018, the idea behind it has much older roots.

“My connection goes back more than 20 years to my friendship with David Hatch, a member of the Siletz Tribe,” Bailey said. “David was in the process of trying to find a name for a little boat he built, and he found the name “Elahka” which means otter in Chinook. That sent him down a path of wondering why we don’t have sea otters here, and he began the research into the possibilities of bringing them back.”

Some time passed when Bailey didn’t see his friend and he didn’t think much about the plight of the sea otter until in 2016 when his friend, and the mission they had discussed, came back into his mind.

“I started to wonder if David had had any success with the idea so I tried to reach out to him and found out he had passed away,” Bailey said. “The current organization came from his efforts and is in his memory.”

Organization members include Board Secretary Peter Hatch, the son of the original founder; and a former Miss Scuba USA, Chanel Hason, director of outreach and community relations.

The goal is clear, a healthy, self-sustaining population of otters, but how to get there isn’t so clear.

“This is like setting out on a journey,” Bailey said. “We know where we want to go, but there is no road map or timeline.”

There are two primary goals, according to Bailey: getting the science right, and building public support.

“I think we’re in good shape as far as getting the science right goes,” he said. “We are still building public support, especially from people like crabbers who might consider them a threat to their industry.”

One of the first things people want to know after hearing about reintroduction efforts is, “When?”

“We are about five or six years out from actually placing animals,” Bailey said. “We are working closely with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Some things just can’t be rushed — we get one shot at this.”

The second popular question? How can I be involved?

“We do use volunteers,” Bailey said, “But the biggest thing people can do is be a missionary for this message and help people understand what a benefit the reintroduction to Oregon waters would be to all.”

Bailey’s Thursday, Feb. 16, talk begins at 6:30 pm at the OSU Extension Lincoln County, 1211 SE Bay Blvd. in Newport. For more information about the Elakha Alliance, go to elakhaalliance.org.