A student at Holland College, in Charlottetown, is researching the feasibility of returning otters to the wild on PEI - they disappeared long ago due to habitat destruction and over-hunting. However there are concerns about the potential reintroduction, particularly among fishermen.

Julie Vasseur is a student in the wildlife conservation technology program at Holland College. She has been commissioned by the PEI Trappers Association, the PEI Wildlife Federation, and the province's Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry, to examine the impact of reintroducing otters on the Island's ecosystems. Trappers have expressed an interest in the return of the animals, although fishermen have some concerns about the potential impact on the trout and salmon populations. Saltscapes spoke to Vasseur recently about her research.

SS: Why were you selected to be part of this study?
JV: As part of the wildlife conservation program, we are required to do something called a "leadership project," where you do independent research. This idea came from Bruce Smith, who is involved in the PEI Wildlife Federation. Then the provincial Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry got involved, and they asked my instructor if he had any students who had prior experience in researching this kind of thing. I guess I was the best choice.

SS: Why did the otters disappear in the first place?
JV: They disappeared before the start of the 20th century because of habitat destruction and over-hunting.

SS: Why would anyone want to reintroduce them?
JV: The people who have the largest interest in the project are involved in the PEI Trappers Association, because otters are a beautiful fur-bearer. Out of all the different fur-bearing mammals out there, the otter pelt is the (gold) standard.

It would take a long time, even if the reintroduction worked, to re-establish the otter population to a level where they could be trapped, because obviously you are not going to reintroduce something and then trap it right away. But they would like to see it get to a level where the population is self-sustaining, so animals could be trapped by future generations.

Also, the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry are very interested in having a native species restored. It's nice when something that was previously here and then extirpated can be brought back, because it shows that we've had some improvement. So it's also about ecological integrity.

SS: And you are studying the potential impact if this were to happen?
JV: I'm studying whether or not it's ecologically and economically feasible.

SS: Do you have expectations in terms of what you think will be the impact on other ecosystems?
JV: Otters mainly eat fish. We are mostly concerned with the reaction of sports fishermen, because on PEI, the biggest fish populations are trout and salmon — really big in the sport fishing industry. Normally, otters will go after non-sport fish, because they are slower-moving and a bit easier to catch: anything that is bottom-dwelling, like white suckers, carp, catfish and things like that. But we don't have a lot of those species on the Island, and otters are going to go after anything they can catch, so there is concern.

SS: Do you know if there's anything that can be done to mitigate the impact?
JV: We have smelt and different species like that on the Island, and otters will eat them as well, but you can't really stop otters from going after salmon and trout. There's no way to stop a wild animal from doing what it is supposed to be doing.