Oregon, Washington and Idaho Cleared to Kill Sea Lions

NOAA has authorized the states to remove as many as 85 animals annually, but estimates that only about 30 animals will be removed each year.

(PORTLAND, Ore. ) - NOAA’s Fisheries Service is granting authorization requested by Washington, Oregon and Idaho to permanently remove a number of California sea lions that are eating imperiled salmon and steelhead congregating below Bonneville Dam before moving up the Columbia River to spawn.

The action allows these states to target only individual sea lions that continue to eat salmon after deterrence methods have proven unsuccessful.

The agency’s authorization responds to a request in 2006 from the three states to “lethally remove” predatory sea lions under a provision of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Under this authorization, the states may shoot or capture and remove individually identified sea lions preying on salmon below Bonneville Dam. Under the marine mammal law, states can ask for permission to kill individually identifiable sea lions or seals that are having a “significant negative impact” on at-risk salmon and steelhead, and NOAA’s Fisheries Service can grant that permission, if certain legal standards are met.

Any animals that are captured may be euthanized if no permanent holding facility can be found for them. NOAA’s Fisheries Service and representatives of zoos and aquariums are compiling a list of pre-approved permanent holding facilities interested in receiving a limited number of captured sea lions as an alternative to euthanasia. NOAA has authorized the states to remove as many as 85 animals annually, but estimates that only about 30 animals will be removed each year, given the conditions in its authorization.

The states will implement specific safety measures and form an animal-care committee, approved by the agency, to advise on standards for humanely capturing, holding and killing predatory sea lions.

Building on more than two decades of experience in attempting non-lethal deterrence of sea lions in the Pacific Northwest, NOAA’s Fisheries Service along with state, tribal and other federal agencies, tested a wide range of non-lethal deterrence methods to discourage the sea lions from foraging at the dam, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful.

State and federal biologists conservatively estimate sea lions ate at least four percent of returning adult fish at Bonneville in 2007 – nearly 3,900 fish – up from an estimated half a percent just six years ago. The actual number is likely much higher, since many fish kills by sea lions were out of sight of observers.

Sea lions injure fish, as well as kill them. According to observers, monitoring salmon and steelhead migrating past the dam, fish with scars from sea lions have increased from 11 percent in 1999 to 37 percent in 2005. Close to a third of the salmon and steelhead eaten by the sea lions are from stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act and considered important for the survival of the species.

As part of the marine mammal law’s requirements, NOAA’s Fisheries Service convened a special task force last fall to make recommendations about the states’ request. Nearly all task force members said last November that the federal agency should grant the states’ request. NOAA released a draft proposal for public comment in January that included as one of its four alternatives the action it is authorizing Tuesday.

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YourHuckleberry March 20, 2008 1:34 pm (Pacific time)

Well Kappie, I just had to step in here after noticing some of your comments. I dont think its up to sir Kappie to decide if another seal sheds a tear over another dying. Thats not the issue. It's okay for animals to kill because that is the way the cycle has always worked. Im not sure what you mean, Kappie quoted:"give me a break its ok for them and most every other animal to kill... But not us." Do I eat meat? Yes. Do I pay attention to where the meat comes from, yes. Do I drink milk? Yes, although much less than I used to considering how much we need on a daily basis, rather than what we are just used to overconsuming. It sounds to me like you are used to drinking, eating, watching animals be killed by natures own way. It only sounds like your thoughts on it are something along the lines of ....aah well, its frugal, why shed a tear, lets move on.... well the fact is Kappie, we will move on, only we are deciding how it will be for all of us. This is not only about seals, its about an attitude, a mentality. But hey, go watch the game Kappie. Dont sweat it. Just remember, you reap what you sow.

Kappie March 20, 2008 9:36 am (Pacific time)

Well Vic HELLO we are in America .. And I bet all the other sea lions will shed a tear when they find out what happened... You care more then they do.. do you cry when you see a eagle eat a salmon or when the salmon are being destroyed by the sea lions. give me a break its ok for them and most every other animal to kill... But not us... do you eat meat of any kind??? do you drink milk, have you seen cows locked in there cage getting pumped full of hormones with no where to go or chickens raised in little bins until they are old enough to get slaughtered never seeing grass or trees or clouds. What are you talking about.. like frugal said we out of the whole world take longer looks and pay more attention to the way regulate animals and there habitats... There is always going to be some unhappy people.. anyways you already discredit yourself with your first statement. You sound like a fool.....

Vic March 20, 2008 7:54 am (Pacific time)

Typical American response to something troublesome....kill it.!!! I wish we would adopt that policy towards treasonous politicians and reckless presidents....and governors, for that matter, that send off our National Guard troops for the Israeli/Oil war.

Kappie March 19, 2008 11:44 pm (Pacific time)

It should not be such a big deal ... Unless you start categorizing animals value by what??? Is it that sea lions look more lovable?? If a few miss placed sea lions are decimating or are a large part of whats decimating another species. Then we have to look at what caused the upset... We built the dam we made a little trail out of a huge river... We basically made a funnel for these fish to swim trough and now at the tip of that funnel( that we made) sea lions... When we force a change in nature we should have to regulate it. So someone decided that instead of wasting masses of our hard earned money moving them for them to just come back again because you know that is what will happen... My vote is that about 50 cents a shot and that means 50 cents per removal vs 10's of thousands...

Frugal March 19, 2008 9:59 pm (Pacific time)

Too many people on the planet. Vic have you ever been to India, China, or any over-populated 3rd world country? Our fish and wildlife policies are remarkable compared to the rest of the world, they really are.

Vic March 19, 2008 4:57 pm (Pacific time)

It just makes me wonder how the world got along for hundreds of thousands of years without humans there to monitor, reshape, regulate and attempt to control everything...amazing , isn't it ? It is almost like the Universe has some kind of intelligence behind it, and WE are not the possessors of all wisdom...but I guess it is human nature to want to play God. We spend our wealth and our children to fight wars, we have never in the history of mankind, had a week where there were not wars, murders and the like..we let one fourth of us starve and don't bat an eye, but now we think we are smarter than Nature/God ,and need to control/kill sea lions, who from the best of my knowledge , have been eating fish since there were sea lions and fish. God should be damned thankful that we are here to clean up after His/Her mistakes, oversights, and flat out stupid decisions.

Frugal March 19, 2008 9:57 am (Pacific time)

My brother is a commercial fisherman and he believes a constant program of trapping and relocation is the way to go, but it would be very expensive. Who pays? I looked in the paper today and they want around $20 a pound for halibut. All prices are going up in everything, but who will pay to protect the salmon? I really don't think anyone wants to kill the seals, maybe someone like Bill Gates would like to pony up and pay for relocation of the seals? As many of you know these seals have been transported to the San Diego area but in short order they are right back in the Columbia and it's tributaries. This is a tough one! The consumption level of salmon and seals is hardly an issue worth comparison.

Vic March 19, 2008 8:10 am (Pacific time)

Eagles eat fish too...all the time!I used to live along the Columbia and almost daily I would see these greedy animals swooping down and snagging a salmon. We should all do our parts to protect the salmon and kill as many bald eagles as we can (unless of course, the REAL motive is not to protect salmon, but keep sea lions off of the decks and docks of million-dollar houseboats downstream). So stock up on shotgun shells, and lets go protect the salmon! Google "sea lion with salmon" and then "eagle with salmon" ...there are five times as many entries for the eagle scenario. And by all means, shoot the nests too , in case there are any hungry eaglets inside that would be soon depleting our salmon.

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Oregon, Washington and Idaho Cleared to Kill Sea Lions

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