Report on January's Otter Advisory Committee Meeting

By Timothy Maher

On 01-29-2000, I attended an Otter Advisory Committee meeting at the MDC Busch Wildlife Area. I would like to say our otter problems have been solved, but that would be no where near the truth. However, that doesn't mean we did not move a little in the right direction. In a nut shell, this is what took place.

The people from MDC confirm that otters have been "re-established in Missouri". They also admit to knowing "otters are de-predating private fish and aqua-culture stocks, and demontstrate preditory efficiency on some clear headwaters of the state, notably in southern Missouri". They do not however, confirm that otters are affecting fish populations beyond headwaters and conclude more research is needed to confirm these suspicions. I agree research is needed, I only hope while we waite for the results, our smallmouth waters are not damaged to a point where there is little hope of restoring them to even an acceptable level, which is certainly a level far below what our organization is striving to accomplish.

The objective of our meeting was to garner insights to regulation of river otter population and to make some recommendation to a seven person MDC Regulations Committee on how to manage the otter population. Many issues were discussed and finally this recommendation was proposed. To "Manage otters by zone and quotas or limits". What this means is that MDC hopes to focus population control efforts at local or regional levels, while trying to accomomodate other interest in otter management. So, what this proposal suggests is that MDC wants to target certain problem areas and allow trappers to focus harder on these areas. Essentially, if I am correct, this means controlling our otter problem would be left completely to the efforts of fur trappers. Not to mention, this is only a proposal at this time, and best case senerio would put any new regulations to take affect in the 2001 trapping season.

While I agree targeting certain problem areas is a great idea, I really do not believe trappers are going to be able to handle the problem. I asked Dave Hamilton, a research biologist with MDC, approximately what percentage of the otter population would have to be trapped in order to control the population at any particular number. He replied about 25% per year would be a ballpark figure. Some estimates put the otter population at between 11,000 and 18,000 for the year 2000. Consevatively, this means around 2,700 otters would have to be trapped in the 2000 trapping season to control populations at their current level. Now, in the last three years the largest number of otters taken was 1,254 with only 854 taken in 1999. I asked Mr. Hamilton if trappers were going to be able to increase the numbers to reach that 2,700 figure and he replied he did not know. In addition, those numbers rely on the population remaining where it is now, and with otters in Missouri reproducing at an alarming rate, significantly higer than in other states, it looks like that figure of 2,700 is no where near what it will have to be in the future.

I really think the MDC is trying to come to grips with this problem and I believe they will do what is feasibly possible to deal with this situation. Still, I am afraid the "otter is out of the bag" and we will have to live with them.

Just the same, it is still a good idea for all of you to write Mr. Conley at the MDC and let him know we want them to keep on top of this issue. In the mean time, there are certainly a number of other important issues of concern where we can focus our attentions.

Tim Maher with a Bourbeuse River Smallie.