Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone

The predators bring benefits like tourism, but eat resources some indigenous communities rely on

sea otter floating on water

A sea otter grooms its dense fur while floating on a bed of kelp off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. While sea otters can reduce shellfish harvest through predation, a new analysis suggests that the ecological benefits they provide outweigh these financial costs.