The welfare and conservation challenges facing sea otters, a keystone species whose recovery from near-extinction reveals both the possibilities and limits of marine conservation.
Sea otter welfare intersects with conservation at multiple points. Individual otters affected by oil spills suffer acutely from hypothermia, aspiration, and the extreme stress of capture and rehabilitation. Otters entangled in fishing gear experience prolonged distress and injury. The welfare of pups separated from mothers — whether through entanglement mortality or natural causes — is a significant concern given the long dependency period. At population level, range restriction by shark predation may confine populations to suboptimal habitat, affecting individual welfare through reduced prey access. Sea otter rehabilitation programmes have improved substantially, but the success rate of releasing rehabilitated otters into viable positions in the social structure requires careful attention to both physical and behavioural health before release.