The second meeting of the expert group on sea otter conservation in 2023 took place on the base of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Kurilsky Nature Reserve Elena Linnik took part in the event. Her report presented a prognosis for an increase in the number of sea otters in the northwestern Pacific near the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge, reports SakhalinMedia news agency, citing the press service of the Kurilsky Nature Reserve.
13 organizations took part in the meeting, of which 3 protected areas of federal significance and 6 institutes, as well as other organizations and public associations, which were represented by 37 specialists. Elena Linnik presented “The number of sea otters near the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge in 2022 and the prospects for its change.”
Since the first meeting of the expert group in 2023, Russian scientists have carried out a large amount of work to study the state of sea otter groups in the waters of the Commander Islands, off the coast of Kamchatka, off the islands of the Greater and Lesser Kuril chains, as well as to study benthic communities, analyze animal invasions and causes of death of the sea otter in most of the Russian range.
Most of the speakers noted the continuing downward trend in sea otter numbers in the main, northern part of its Russian range: off the coast of the Commander Islands, Kamchatka and the Northern Kuril Islands. Thus, according to the head of the laboratory of the KB TIG FEB RAS Sergei Kornev, the latest surveys in 2023 around Paramushir and Shumshu showed a decrease in the number of sea otters compared to 2003 by 96% - from 15 thousand to 541 individuals.
The reports also presented the results of surveys near the southern Kuril Islands, which show that sea otter groups in this area tend to increase in number. Thus, on Iturup and Urup, the number of sea otters remains stable - 230 and 1299 individuals, respectively, and on the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge there has been a significant increase in the number of these animals.
According to censuses carried out by employees of the Kurilsky Nature Reserve in 2022, the total number of sea otters in the Lesser Kuril Islands was 471 individuals, of which 290 were females with puppies - 40.3%, which was 14 times higher than in 2001.
In 2023, marine surveys were carried out by the Finval research center from a trimaran. According to the head of the center, Andrei Semenov, the number of sea otters on the Lesser Kuril Ridge was 516 individuals, of which 248 were females with pups.
The main factors that attract the sea otter are the jagged coastline with numerous coves and islands, shallow depths (up to 50 meters), a diverse benthic community, including the animal’s main food resource - sea urchins, as well as fields of kelp algae, where the sea otter spends most of its time.
According to research by the Sakhalin branch of VNIRO, it is near the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge that significant accumulations of sea urchins and vast fields of brown algae are noted, and the entire water area is located within the isobath of up to 50 meters of depth.
Elena Linnik's report presented a forecast for an increase in the number of sea otters until they reach optimal density over the entire water area of the Lesser Kuril Ridge, based on its resource availability. This number may be at least 1,300 individuals in the future.
— I would like to especially emphasize that an important factor in the conservation of the southernmost breeding group of sea otters in the northwestern Pacific near the MKG islands is that the border of the animals’ distribution is within the marine protected zones of the Kurilsky Nature Reserve and the Small Kuriles federal nature reserve, therefore sea otters and their habitats are under state protection. This allows us to regulate human presence and economic activity, thereby preserving these beautiful animals in our region,” Elena Linnik noted in her report.
Participants in the expert group meeting came to a number of conclusions. It is necessary to:
- develop unified methods for conducting animal censuses and collecting biomaterial;
- continue studying the state of benthic communities using modern technologies and involving competent specialists;
- prepare and conduct a one-time synchronized census of the sea otter population in the territory of its Russian distribution area.
The next meeting of the expert council is scheduled for February 2024.
Related materials:
Na rubeje: “The number of sea otters is growing only in the southern group of the North-
West Pacific”
Fishnews: “Sea otters continue to have problems”
RAS: "The number of sea otters near the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge may increase"