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The Alaska Senate is urging the federal government to work with the State of Alaska to control the population of sea otters in Southeast Alaska.
20-0 in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 13, a measure from Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, and sent it to the House for consideration.
According to figures presented to Senate committees earlier this year, there are more than 51,000 sea otters in Southeast Alaska, and the population is increasing at a rate of 13 percent per year. Sea otters are so numerous, the resolution states, that they are driving down the availability of shellfish and other oceanic foods used for subsistence.