The State - News from Sept. 30, 1987

A Los Angeles federal judge has refused to block a plan to relocate endangered sea otters from the Monterey coast to San Nicolas Island despite fishing industry claims that the plan will wipe out the local shellfish population. U.S. District Judge Alicemarie M. Stotler rejected a request from a coalition of commercial and sport fishermen for a preliminary injunction, ruling that the threat to the endangered sea otters is “far greater” than any potential harm to fishing in the area. A total of 47 sea otters have been relocated since August under a federal program to establish a secondary population of the endangered mammals, who state and federal wildlife officials say could be threatened with extinction if their present breeding grounds off Monterey were hit with an oil spill or disease.