Federal agency approves sea lion removal at dam

ap ^ | May 13, 2011

[george76]

Oregon and Washington have been given permission to resume removing or killing California sea lions at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, a federal agency said Friday.

The decision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came about six months after a federal appeals court struck down a similar permit aimed at reducing the number of threatened or endangered salmon eaten by the hungry marine mammals.

...

the California sea lion population is healthy, estimated at 238,000, while wild Columbia River spring chinook salmon are listed as endangered.

...

NOAA Regional Director William Stelle said new data suggest sea lions are eating nearly 13 percent of salmon at the dam in low-return years. That's higher than earlier Corps of Engineers estimates. Stelle said a researcher last year found sea lion injuries on 29 percent of returning salmon.

Stelle also said the Marine Mammal Protection Act allows his agency to balance "the management of and conflict between two species."

In a statement, Stelle said "a thorough analysis shows that a small number of California sea lions preying on salmon and steelhead are having a significant effect on the ability of fish stocks to recover."

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Dam sea lion removal authorized!

[Iron Munro]

Ooooo... Sea lion steaks with beer!

[USNBandit]

They aren't called river lions! They moved far upriver because we built them an aquarium in which to hunt fish.

[blueunicorn6]

And if they kill the sea lions, what will Shamu eat? Damnit! What hath we wrought?

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Fire at will!.....

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Shoot to kill!....

[Jeff Chandler]

They need to kill or remove them from those rocks by the Caves in La Jolla before a swimmer gets eaten by a Great White drawn in by the pinnipeds. But they won’t. They’ll just ban swimming by humans.

[RichInOC]

You see a fish ladder. Our friend the sea lion sees a sushi bar.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Who knew that sea lions liked a change of pace to fresh water?

[george76]

Latest

[jazusamo]

You see a fish ladder. Our friend the sea lion sees a sushi bar.

Yep. The fish ladder at Bonneville Dam.

[Salvation]

If you aren't on this ping list and are interested

in articles about Oregon, please FReepmail me.

[tubebender]

Time to go hunting...

[tubebender]

Dead Sea Lion Ping...

[vox_freedom]

Methinks these beasts might be cooked to perfection in my Traeger smoker.

[fish hawk]

Here is my solution: capture all you can and transport them to the Farallon Islands just off San Francisco bay. There lies the biggest group of Great White Sharks on the west coast. They love Sea Lions and thus solving the problem. This way, nature takes care of them and Liberals don't have to have a guilty conscience. My tribe used to kill them and eat them but the Marxist regime wont let us do that anymore.