Posted on 10/16/2011 5:25:16 PM PDT by jazusamo
Complete title: Sea lion task force to weigh in on whether to kill and remove sea lions feasting on fish at Bonneville Dam
The sea lion task force returns to the drawing board next week. Their task: to recommend to kill and remove sea lions feasting on endangered salmon below Bonneville Dam this spring -- or not.
The controversial lethal-take policy has been on-again, off-again since first approved in 2008.
The 16-member federal task force wants to hammer out issues early and avoid the problems of last November when a federal appeals court effectively blocked the permit.
The task force includes representatives of state and federal agencies, tribes and Columbia River interest groups. They help shape criteria for trapping and euthanizing sea lions, whether to continue hazing them and whether the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should grant the lethal-take permit.
NOAA's lethal-take permit is the first in the nation to allow killing California sea lions to save threatened or endangered salmon and steelhead since the Marine Mammal Protection Act took effect in 1972.
Unlike last fall when discussions needed a four-day face-to-face meeting with a facilitator, this meeting actually will be a conference call. The task force will consider if anything from the past year's salmon migration should change its thinking.
"This group has gotten together many times," said Garth Griffin, a Portland-based NOAA administrator overseeing the agency's research and decision. "This is just an opportunity to see any new information."
It is the third try by NOAA Fisheries to allow Oregon, Washington and Idaho to use it at Bonneville. Under the first permit in 2008, 10 sea lions were removed and another 30 killed. That permit ended last November when a federal court agreed with the Humane Society of the United States that reasons for the lethal-take permit needed more explaining.
By the time NOAA addressed it in May, the spring salmon run was nearly over and most sea lions had left Bonneville. None were killed at Bonneville, but one was trapped and removed near Astoria. The Humane Society filed suit again, saying NOAA had not followed proper procedures for the new permit. NOAA and the states agreed in July to drop the 2011 permit altogether and try for reissue in 2012.
"It was in everyone's best interest to cut it off last summer," Griffin said. The process is intended to go quicker this year and if a permit is granted, have it in effect before California sea lions start showing up at Bonneville in February.
The states and a host of federal agencies spend more than $1 billion a year to try to restore endangered Columbia River salmon and steelhead. One effort is to reduce predation by birds, by other fish -- and by California and steller sea lions. Since 2002, sea lions at Bonneville fish ladders have been documented taking 2 percent to 4 percent of the spring Chinook run.
Things were different last spring. A huge, cold runoff and more smelt and other fish in the lower Columbia affected the number and timing of sea lions and salmon at Bonneville. Some 223,000 spring chinook passed the dam by June 1, the bulk after sea lions left to return to the coast to breed. Army Corps of Engineers counted 54 California sea lions below the dam, the fewest since January-to-June observations began eight years ago. They estimated sea lions killed 3,971 salmon — 1.8 percent of the run, the lowest percentage since 2003.
That's proof enough for Sharon Young that predation doesn't drop when sea lions are removed. More sea lions ate more salmon during the three years states trapped and killed 40 animals, said Young, marine issues field director for the Humane Society and the only task force member to vote last year against killing.
Young said the Corps’ latest data indicates when salmon don’t show up, neither do sea lions. There was no removal last spring, yet sea lions gave up waiting for salmon and headed downstream for better feeding.Managers "want to interfere in a system that was once working pretty well on its own," she said. "You are killing animals for no reason other than frustration."
The thing is that Bonneville Dam is over 70 years old and never had the sea lion problem until about ten years ago, the dam is about 140 miles from the Pacific ocean.
Had they taken care of the problem when sea lions first started showing up we probably wouldn’t have this problem now, the numbers of sea lions have gradually increased since them first showing up.
Exactly, and they've been making the most of it. :-)
jus’ use predator drones.....
...dumbass sea lions, its their own fault.....actions have consequences, don't you know.
Yo Bray!
The Eskimos must have some good recipes. (or are you one)
First off, I’m thinking the Humane Society is the last group I would let in on the call. They have a dog and cat killing agenda that won’t quit, but they could sure donate the dough for a Seal saver away from the dam and fish ladder. Thus providing a little competition for the seals instead of swimming at the ladder with their mouths open.
This highlights the basic problem: the U.S. Department of the Interior is headed and staffed by incompetent fools. They always have been, are and will be worse than useless until the department is abolished.
The HSUS TV commercials are probably the largest bait and switch scam in the country. HSUS is no better than PETA but they are smarter than PETA in that they don't use the shock type in your face stunts that PETA does.
Cut the ribs up in manageable size pieces. Salt and pepper the ribs. Broil until crispy. This recipe is better if cooked over a fire or coals. Barbeque sauce can be used, but just plain salt and pepper is best.
Sea Lion Liver or Heart
After soaking over night, cut liver or heart in small steak size pieces. Dip the steak pieces in seasoned flour mix (flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder) and fry in grease. This recipe is very good fried with onions.
Sea Lion Steak
Cut steak size pieces from the shoulder area and season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Fry or broil. Also good on the barbeque.
Sea Lion Roast
Cut meat from the breast area, place in roasting pan with lots of onions, a few potatoes, and carrots. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 2 hours. Roasting bags can be used and makes for a very tender roast.
Beach-Fire Sea Lion Shoulder Roast
Take the shoulder blade with plenty of meat on it, season with salt, pepper and garlic, then wrap in tin foil. Place shoulder blade side down on coals. About 15 minutes before finished cooking, place beach peas, greens and burnet in the foil with some Lee & Perrins sauce. Cook until done.
Sea Lion Burger on the Grill
Take about 3 pounds of burger (ground with some fat, maybe 5%), add 4 eggs, about 3 cups of chopped onions and salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients very well, then shape into huge burgers and grill until done. Serve burgers with fresh steamed fireweed sprouts and rice.
Sea Lion Stir Fry
Take stew size chunks of sea lion meat, flour and season them, then stir fry until almost done. Add a bit more flour and water to make a sauce. Simmer until done and serve over rice or noodles.
Sea Lion Flipper Over a Fire-Pit
Take sea lion flipper and place on the fire to burn off the hair and black skin. This doesn't take very long- maybe a 1/2 an hour with a good fire. Remove the hair and skin as you turn the flipper. Once all is removed, let cool. Place the flipper in a bag with seasonings (salt and pepper) and let sit in a cool place for a day. When ready to cook, simmer the flipper in a big pot with shallow water for about 1 hour. Once fully cooked, take the flipper out and place on a large platter. Eat hot or cold.
It is fricin’ impressive to watch a herd of sea lions gorging during a salmon run. They catch a full grown female salmon by the gut, eat the egg sack and sling the carcass aside to go after another. These are very large animals and when you get large numbers of them swarming around the lower end of a fish ladder when the salmon are spawning they truly wreak havoc on the run.
They have tried everything at Bonneville Dam to control these animals, many of them are not healthy enough to go to a zoo and there ain’t much of a market for seal steaks here in the Portland Metro area....although I’m sure there is someone around here who would be willing to make all natural soap out of real organic seal blubber.....
I wish one of the Indian tribes would claim some kind of unlimited tribal hunting right to the damned things, then we would have no sea lion problems at all.
Love to see them harpoon one from a jonboat.....
Yep, that's exactly what they do, I've seen videos of them doing it.
Sea lions are not dumb animals. There are many people who would scream bloody murder at what I'm going to suggest but that's too bad. Fish & Wildlife should shoot a few and leave them in the river to warn the remaining ones that it's an unhealthy environment, it may or may not work but it's worth a try.
Sea lion task force?
There’s a Sea Lion Czar!
I want to be a Sea Lion Czar! Imagine the power...
That’s amazing, it’s an instant all you can eat buffet!
Rats with flippers. Kill them all.
Looks like they could feed the bums at Occupy Portland with those recipes?
Pray for America
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