H.R. 2714, a bill introduced by Rep. Donald Young of Alaska, threatens to restart the fur trade of northern sea otters from southcentral and southeastern Alaska.  

All sea otters are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act which makes it illegal to hunt a sea otter or sell any products made from the body of a sea otter, unless the sea otter is harvested by an Alaskan Native for subsistence purposes. Even an Alaskan Native must sufficiently alter a sea otter pelt into some kind of traditional artifact or handicraft before selling anything made from a sea otter. It is currently illegal for anyone, including Alaskan Natives, to sell unaltered sea otter pelts to non-Alaskan Natives.

H.R. 2714 restarts the fur trade by stripping the requirement that sea otter fur be altered into traditional handicrafts or artifacts before being sold by Alaskan Natives. Wholesale harvests of sea otters for their fur will again be legal.

H.R. 2714 allows for the unrestricted and unlimited selling of sea otter fur to businesses for commercial production. Hats, clothing, footwear and all other manner of items could be commercially produced out of sea otter fur for the broader market anywhere in the country.

This has happened before and it nearly destroyed the species.

Tell your representatitive to oppose the start of a new fur trade that could undo all the progress that the sea otter population has made.

Learn more at http://www.seaotters.org/alaska.html