Defenders Offers Reward for Information on Sea Otter Poaching

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that a federally protected sea otter was illegally tortured and killed in February 2025. Both FWS and Defenders of Wildlife are offering rewards for information leading to an arrest, criminal conviction or civil penalty assessment.

“Poaching is a serious crime against wildlife, our natural heritage and the communities who depend on our wild lands,” said Kristin Botzet, Northwest program representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “This particular incident was difficult to learn of due to the brutality behind it. We hope that the Service enforcement officers are able to find the perpetrator and the individual is appropriately charged for this offense.”

While sea otters in Washington state have shown steady growth from 59 individuals in 1969 to 2,800 individuals in 2019, the population remains substantially smaller than historic populations due to the commercial fur trade in the early 20th century. Sea otters are a keystone species, responsible for maintaining kelp forest health in coastal ecosystems. They are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are listed as threatened in Washington state, where they have also been identified as a priority conservation species.  

Defenders of Wildlife is offering a reward of $2,500, independently of a reward being offered by FWS,  for information leading to a poaching conviction in this case. In addition, anyone with information about this case should call 808-861-8525 or 844-FWS-TIPS or submit a web form at https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.  

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