Coastal tribes in Oregon hope to bring sea otters back to their community
Sea otters were hunted to near extinction along the U.S. West Coast. During the century they have been away, a lucrative shellfish industry has grown in the waters where restoration would take place.
The lives of sea otters — the tool-using marine mammals — were once intertwined with those of the coastal tribes in Oregon. But when fur traders discovered the value of the warm, waterproof pelts, a global trade led to the near extinction of the animals. Now, local Native Americans are hoping to bring them back.
Peter Hatch, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, says he began learning about the relationship between his people and the
