Otters mean healthy ecosystem

SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) is heartened to hear from the D’Residence Residents Committee about the presence of otters at their gated community.

Being a cute and intelligent animal they are a sight to behold and people are fascinated by their antics. Otters making their presence felt is not new. Sea otters reside near the shore, inhabiting shallow coastal waters and occasionally venture to the shore.

Sightings of otters have been commonly reported by the media in Penang. Significantly the report of a family of 10 smooth-coated otters taking residence in a highly polluted river – the Sungai Pinang – means that the fishes have come back due to a new lease of life for the ‘resurrected’ river. This happened in 2015 also: “Otter family breathes hope for river that’s brought to life” ( The Star, June 21).

The smooth coated otter is listed as vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is totally protected under the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

While sea otters are vulnerable to natural predators, their populations are significantly impacted by several human factors as well. Direct conflict with humans, such as getting caught in fishing traps and nets which pose a major threat to sea otter populations.

Many fishermen use fishing gear that can entangle sea otters and cause them to drown. Since sea otters eat many of the same shellfish humans eat, such as sea urchins, lobster and crab, they often find themselves in the same areas fishermen like to harvest. Some shell fishers view sea otters as competition and a threat to their economic gain.

Pollution on land that runs off into the sea contaminates the otters’ habitat. This can jeopardise their food sources, as well as harm them directly. Sea otters are often contaminated by toxic pollutants and disease-causing parasites as a result of runoff into the sea.

One of the things sea otters do better than any other marine mammal, is as an indicator of the health of the nearby shore marine ecosystem that supports them. They mon- itor, not only ecosystem health, but also diseases and intoxicants that are harmful to human beings.

SAM is disheartened to learn that the seafront at Bayan Mutiara is being reclaimed for development. Sea otters and other marine life are highly likely to be affected by habitat degradation and loss. Developments such as land reclamation, sewage, dredging and dumping degrade the environment and take up valuable habitat.

SAM urges the government and the local planning authorities to assess how reclamation projects will impact the otters. The impacts to be considered include habitat loss or degradation in or near water bodies, disturbance to resting and feeding places, disturbance to their usual routes forcing otters to use roads or bridges where otters are more likely to be killed or injured on the road, and also changes to water quality which could also affect food sources.

SAM calls for further reclamation project to be scrapped taking into consideration the existence of endangered animals such as sea otters.