State and federal biologists estimate that California sea lions have eaten between 1.5 and 4 percent of all returning adult Columbia River salmon at Bonneville Dam each year during the past eight years. But as of March 16, NOAA Fisheries has authorized the use of Lethal Force to curb predation.
I’m sure PETA and others will raise hell, but in my mind, those folks don’t have a leg to stand on until the start actually doing something that helps the animals…like restore habitat, etc. When was the last time you saw a member of PETA buying raffle tickets or auction items at a Ducks Unlimited, Rocky MOuntain Elk Foundation, Costal Conservation Association or Trout Unlimited dinner? Those cats are all the real animal advocates, not kooks who spray paint fur coats. But, alas, I digress…
Read more about the removal of Columbia sea lions at Underwater Times.com
Edwardo says
If seals are not eradicated from California’s rivers, there IS a shark that will follow them upriver–and that is the bull shark. So far, their normal habitat does not extend past the tip of Baja California, but they occasionally do make it up to San Diego and there are a few reported sightings up to the LA area. If these things ever get to SF Bay, they will immediately get into the Sacramento River estuary and follow those seals right into the Delta and beyond. It would be a shattering wake-up call for control of the seal population if we someday in the not-too-distant future see a news report of swimmers at Discovery Park (the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers) having been attacked/killed by bull sharks. If humpbacked whales can get up that far, and seals can and have been seen in Verona–north of the city of Sacramento itself, then its only a matter of time before this highly adaptive apex predator makes its presence felt in the area in most unpleasant ways……The tipping point would be the ocean temperatures between San Diego and SF bay. But, adaptive as they are, the bull shark, which already can swim in freshwater, may find adapting to a few degrees of temperature less than their ideals well worth the bother given the tempting opportunity presented by an out of control sea lion population that is protected at all costs–and will continue to be–by PETA et al–right up to and then past the line where human fatalities occur.
Cal says
Shoot the bastards, I have seen them THRASH steelhead in small coastal streams that have horrible returns each winter.
tom says
We could use a ruling like this on the Russian River….there must be 200-300 sea lions on the bar at Jenner….Lord only knows how many fresh run steelhead they take, let alone the downrunners and smolts. When I was a kid, it was somthing new to see a sea lion there, but the do-gooders took a foothold on the situation and the sea lions population got out of control….JD is right, the real conservationists in California are the men and women that but the fishing and hunting licenses, and belong to organizations like TU, Mule Deer Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and so on.
Norm says
I agree to all the comments. I counted 348 sea lions on a sand bar 3 miles up the Umpqua from Winchester Bay. While my buddy was bringing his salmon over the rail of the boat, a seal took it and almost got his hand also. It’s about time something was done with the problem
Curt Wilson says
Does this mean we can take a shot at a few in May?
fishbird says
Last year one stole my buddy’s keeper striper off our stringer @RIO VISTA(it took the biggest one) Lucky I had the short that day!!!! he he
Robert says
How about some lethal force on the A – hole’s that have prolonged this for the last 8 years…………
Joe says
It’s too bad that Great White sharks don’t go into fresh water, if they did it would be an easy fix for the seals! My father and I were salmon fishing of the Golden Gate a few years ago, and 90% of the fish hooked were taken by seals and he said that the seals had to eat too, so I reminded him that a hooked fish has no chance against a seal.
A dam has the same affect, no where for the salmon to run from the $#@^…. SEALS !!!
Bring back the Furiers.
jerry k says
I witness the sea lions & seals catching salmon on the sacramento every fall. I may not catch a fish all day if their around, but they catch fish all day! I wonder what seal meat taste like?
Michael Kukowski says
I am all for myself. Peta should just stay out of it just like the Humane society should to.
TJ says
To those of us that spend a lot of time on the lower Columbia, this is long over due. The Sealions at the dam are just the tip of the iceberg. The lower river is FULL of seals not even factored into the estimated impact. Our Salmon recovery efforts have turned into Seal feeders. BP should have a bounty on seals, not Pikeminnow.
kinnick says
This is what we need out in the Delta.
shiveley says
yeah, because the sea lions are the main problem, not people (and certainly not fishermen, legislators, agriculture, and Fish & Game management).
Tommy G says
I,m all for this action ,they have a video out on you tube with stellar sea lions eating and maming the sturgeon down on the columbia river about 75 in one day ,just think how many salmon in one day , they get a hold of.
Jody says
Those People only protest at main stream events for the attention, its about time they ( Oregon ) are looking at what is devastating the salmon, Calif. needs to follow.