No Otter Zone 2013
Distributed by The Video Project, PO Box 411376, San Francisco, CA 94141-1376; 800-475-2638
Produced by Spencer L. Bruttig, Nicholas DaSilva, Clinton Reynolds and Alexander Mark Romanov
Directed by Spencer L. Bruttig, Nicholas DaSilva, Clinton Reynolds and Alexander Mark Romanov
DVD, color, 16 min.
Jr. High - General Adult
Sea Otter, Sea Urchin Fisheries, Ecology
Date Entered: 08/13/2014
Reviewed by Barbara Butler, University of Oregon Institute of Marine BiologyA “no otter zone” was established on the southern coast of California in order to protect the sea urchin fishery of the region. This was the natural range of the sea otter before they were hunted to near-extinction and now that sea otters have gained protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act they are repopulating their native range. This film uses interviews with marine biologists and fishing industry representatives to tell both sides of the story. I learned a lot in just 16 minutes. This is a student production from the UC Santa Barbara Blue Horizons program which went on to be an official selection at the Ojai Film Festival, Colorado Environmental Film Festival, Vail Film Festival and Catalina Film Festival. The video is freely available on Vimeo (vimeo.com/52140920), but if using the video in a classroom situation it is well worth acquiring the DVD which is divided into six chapters: Introduction, Issue at Hand, Historical Context, Meet the Fishermen, Bears in Your Neighborhood, and Closing Arguments. This film is appropriate for middle-school through adult audiences and would be a good addition to both public and academic libraries.