It is expected that these populations will continue to grow and expand their ranges for a number of years, although it is not known to what degree they will colonize inland waters. Otters are effective predators that limit the age structure, size and abundance of many of their prey. In the absence of sea otters, commercial, subsistence, and sport fisheries developed on these populations that contained many old and large individuals. Now with the recovery of sea otter populations, human utilization of some shellfish is being reduced or precluded by otters. In Alaska, the impacts of otter predation on human utilization of shellfish populations have not been well documented and are largely anecdotal in nature.
Conflicts appear to be increasing as sea otter colonies grow and expand into more populated areas.
Reports from fishermen suggest that sea otters have substantially reduced abundance of legal-size abalone along stretches of the outer coast of southeastern Alaska. Residents of Elfin Cove, in southeastern Alaska, indicated to me that reduced availability of dungeness crabs in near by Port Althorp coincided with the arrival of sea otters in large numbers in that area. Based on these reports, it is anticipated that additional conflicts between human utilization of shellfish and expanding sea otter colonies in southeastern Alaska will develop. It is the purpose of this report to identify and review both the magnitude and geographic distribution of the various shellfisheries in southeastern Alaska and to evaluate the potential impacts of sea otter predation on those fisheries. Areas particularly important for the harvest of various species of shellfish will be identified to aid in consideration of zonal management of sea otters and shell fisheries.