Photo: Belfast Telegraph
Jjust a few days back, we told you about the Feds authorizing the use of lethal force against salmon, steelhead and sturgeon-munching sea lions below Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River(see the story here). Well, apparently, the West Coast isn’t the only place dealing with marauding marine mammals eating more than their fare share of fish!
Some anglers in Ireland are getting so fed up with the seals decimating fish populations in the Quoile River that they are considering taking up arms against the beasts if the government doesn’t relocate them. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
Read more in the Belfast Telegraph
Alick says
As others have noted, the seals diet is normally complimentry to its environment, a product of evolution. Over thousands of years a ballance was achieved. In just the last 100 years human kind has drastically altered this ballance. There is no doubt some of these “alterations” have had enormous impact on the marine ecosystem. Are things out of whack? The seals are beautiful animals in a natural setting , this is not a “natural” setting. It would be a shame if the “warm and fuzzy” marketeers got ahold of this.
Alick says
It is dangerous meddling with nature but we have no choice at times. Things are getting out of ballance due to several factors , seems mostly man made. Unfortunately we cain’t turn the clock back to Lewis&Clarks times so meddle we must. The new natural course is probably something like this..Seals drive fish populations down/ Seals starve off/ Fish make a come back, a 50-100 year cycle?
Flyman says
Regarding the sea lion issue –
After reading all the comments above I thought I’d better add some more of my own. Why are so many people so quick to blame dams, water diversions, logging, and mankind in general, for the loss of salmon? Yes, there are some losses of salmon due to man made structures and activities, but we also have many hatcheries and habitat restoration groups to counter a lot of this. There are many streams that aren’t dammed or logged, yet their runs of salmon have declined by over 95%. Where is the shiny example of the “restored stream/restored fish runs”? There aren’t any!
The marine mammal counts of 1945 showed there were less than 5,000 California sea lions (southern sea lion) in California, and their range extended to just north of San Francisco – and I might add we had great runs of salmon in those days. Today, their population has reached approx. 300,000 animals and their range has extended north to Southern Alaska. California sea lions eat on an average of 20 lbs. of food per day. To get an idea of what they’re now consuming a year – take 295,000 more animals than we had in 1945, times 20 lbs. of food per animal, times 365 days per year, and you’ll have an idea of where many, many tons of steelhead, salmon, and other fish are going.
Seals, sea lions, cormorants, Caspian terns, and merganzers are all beautiful animals, but their populations are all at record high numbers, they all do well eating non-spiny, high in oil and fat fishes like salmon, and they are taking a heavy toll on our favorite fish.
If we want runs of fish like we had back in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s, then form a plan to eventually reduce the predators to what their population numbers were in those years and we’ll probably see even better runs than we had in those earlier years
Something has to be done.
Flyman says
California sea lions and Pacific harbor seals ARE having a major impact on salmonid runs all along the West Coast. The impacts from dams and other habitat problems are small in comparison. Just look at the Great Lakes – they have high returns of salmonids (12% to 18%) and great fishing. Yet they have all the same habitat problems we have out here on the West Coast, including many dams. What don’t they have? Sea lions and seals. Is it all this simple? Yeah.
Alayna Renee says
I’m not commenting here so that I can argue with anyone…but recently I read the results of a research done on the effects of sealion population vs. cod and salmon numbers. On the contrary to what some of you might think, it is actually true that the more sea lions there are, the higher the numbers of fish. This is because the sealion’s diet consists of only 3% cod and salmon, give or take slightly more or less depending on the area. It has been proven that the sea lions help salmon and cod population by feasting on fish that prey on these species. Sea lions have a diverse diet that also includes clams, mussels, squid and other cephalopods. In fact, studies since the 1940’s and until now show that in rivers and on coasts of the western US, fish numbers dwindle with decreasing numbers of sealions. Please look this up for yourself if you doubt me. Sealions may be territorial, even aggressive. But more often than not they are protecting their young or mates. Did you know that humans are the sealion’s top predator, along with killer whales and great whites? We are encroaching on the sealion, not the other way around. If you find the animals are bothersome, certainly with all the waters available you can find another fishing spot? And did you ever think some decimated fish populations are due to overfishing. We are becoming greedy and selfish as a civilization. I’m not a hippie. Or a member of PETA. But I am a young woman who wonders what her world is coming to sometimes. Yes, sealions are cute. But the real reason I defend them is because they can’t defend theirselves. Sealions are being scapegoated for much more than they are guilty of. Please try and think about the animal’s pain and suffering before you kill another one. They are much like dogs when domesticated, expressing emotion and even loyalty. The navy uses them to detect underwater mines and deter enemy divers that would harm our country. One day, please take the time to watch the movie “Andre”. If you still want to slaughter these animals after that, I don’t believe you have a conscience. Thank you for reading :)
Jeremiah says
All that sounds true but we are not talking about the sea lion population in general. We are talking about rogue animals that have adapted unnatural feeding habits. Yes most of these situations are man made do to dams and decreasing the amount of freshwater that flows out of the river mouths into the ocean. These create choke points for fish and a small percentage of sea lions have keyed in on this and eat salmon/steelhead/ sturgeon exclusively. Sometimes these sea lions never go back to the ocean. I’m all for removing dams and increasing the natural flow of the rivers but this will never happen on a large scale. Humans have changed the environment so drastically in some situations that it is our responsibility to keep nature in balance where we have knocked it out of whack. At the Bonneville dam they estimate these rogue sea lions to be eating up to 5% of the returning salmon. It’s a very simple solution to eliminate these animals. Also, rogue animals interacting with humans in persuit of their food need to go. I love animals and marine mammals are one of my favorite animals to watch in their environment. I can seperate that love for animals and can accept what needs to be done in these situations. To you that makes me a lesser person. To me that makes me a stronger person. Either way the issue doesn’t change based on our emotional state.
Alayna Renee says
I can see your side of the argument when you put it in that light. I never meant to make it sound like I thought of anyone as less of a person, in fact you seem quite amiable. :) But it’s just so sad…killing such an intelligent creature because of it’s sometimes bothersome feeding habits. I wonder if there isn’t a more humane way of dealing with the rogue sea lions than killing them? I love to fish as well, but I can see the plight of the seals and sea lions clearly. If there are only a small percentage causing the said problem, could they not be relocated? There has to be another way…seals and sea lions are just too magnificent of an animal to not do all we can before we jump to euthanizing them.
shiveley says
Umm, I’m posting on a site dedicated to fishing, so yeah I both fish and purchase an annual license to do so. That’s why I’m here. Nice try though. You guys are too funny. Some of you are just a post away from resorting to name calling, aren’t you. Oh, nevermind, we’ve already got the, “adult conversation not for the…weak mind” (really Jeremiah?). Oh, and I particularly loved the “competing with humans for food” argument. I had no idea that so many people were still fishing our local waterways for the sole purpose of feeding their families. Man, times must be bad.
It’s great that we can have such a civil discussion with regard to relating and respecting varying opinions on contentious issues without judgement and/or ridicule. That’s what makes online communities so valuable; diversity of thought, opinion, and experience. It’s conversations such as these that make others want to participate, express themselves, and feel welcome to do so. Well done…
Jeremiah says
Again with the emotion and lack of facts. The issue is a large animal interacting with humans for it’s food creating a dangerous situation. Bears breaking into cabins, mountain lions entering neighborhoods to prey on domestic animals, sea lions overturning small vessels going after fish, etc. Once it reaches this point the animal must be put down.
Jeremiah says
This is an adult conversation not for the emotionally dominated, weak mind. These lost souls can’t get over the cute, puppy dog face the sea lions have and don’t care about the facts of the situation. Let people who can control their emotions work this one out. The population of sea lions off the west coast has exploded beyond any historical level, biologists believe. With man made choke points like the Bonneville dam and decreased flows coming out of our rivers do to diversion man must step in and cull the over population of the sea lions. Also, any rogue and potentially dangerous animal that has adapted to life outside of it’s normal behavior and is competing/interacting with humans for food must be put down. It is that simple.
shiveley says
I knew my opinion wouldn’t be popular on a fishing site, but I assure you, I’m quite “in touch with reality”, and frankly, this situation reminds me of the Japanese blaming dolphins for a reduction in tuna populations in spite of the fact that they overfish that species on a global scale. I guess it’s just easier to place the blame elsewhere…
tom says
How in touch with reality are you? Do you purchase an annual fishing license and Steelhead Report Card here in CA or the state you live in? I highly doubt it….fact of the matter is that the DGF regulates the fishermen and their catch, hook type, and daily limits to ensure that the resource isn’t depleated past the point of no return. And as anglers and conservationists we accept and abide by those regulations. But, the bone of contention is that there is an UNCHECKED population of sea lions up and down the west coast, and when we as anglers spend our money on conservation stamps and report cards we get a little pi$#ed off when we lose fish to a sea lion that is 20+ miles upstream from the ocean (hence the name ‘sea lion’). I’ve seen more than one seal lion in Dry Creek (a Russian River tributary, and host to the salmon/steelhead hatchery) foraging on returning steelhead, just downstream from the intake tube. To me, that is an extremely bitter pill to swallow. You may believe that to be OK, but I can assure you that there are dozens of anglers, whose $$ go to support hatchery and fishery projects in CA, that will agree with me. If you spend your money on a fishing license, hunting license, deer tags, conservation stamps and so on, then by all means post your opinions regarding fishing, hunting and conservation, but if you don’t, save it for the PETA or SPCA website.
JD says
Okay, so here’s the deal…sea lions are not directly the cause of declining fish runs on the West Coast, but they are certainly a major contributing factor.
Especially now that the predator/prey balance is out of whack. Sea lions were on the brink and were thus protected.
They have now recovered to nearly historic levels…which would be fine if the same were true about salmon & steelhead. If we had the millions of returning adults that swarmed upriver in Lewis & Clark’s day, the impact of sea lions wouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case…and some selective harvest on sea lions would benefit salmon populations…not to mention the sea lions themselves. It’s rudimentary biology that tells us that a population will eventually collapse if it exceeds its food source. That’s where sea lions could be headed if they aren’t thinned out a bit…or anadromous fish populations explode…
What Shiveley has correct is that human impacts are the major culprits…habitat loss and water diversions being chief among them…
What he fails to understand, however, is the impact of fishing. Consider the plight of Sacramento River fall Chinook. Recently, plummeting runs prompted a complete closure of sport and commercial fishing
off the coast of California and in the rivers of the Sacramento Valley. Guess what happened during the fishing closure? The fall Chinook run hit an all time low!
Which of course, just confirms that it is habitat issues, not fishing in this case, that are the real core issues…
Josh 100lbs club Jordan says
Shiv, your comparing apples to oranges, unlike the japanese we have spent many hours and much money researching the issues and have solid evidence this next step will help the problem ( hence the reason the Gov is giving the ok the kill a once endangered animal, a major offence in any other situation). We are not going to eat the sealoins after we take a few seals, Nor is there a market for sealoins here as there is a market for dolphins in Japan.
Try again
no snagn says
Ok..So when are they gonna do the same for Poacher’s ??? Just askn! ; )
Michael Kukowski says
Shively really is not in touch with reality. Sure commercail fishing ,and dam building have caused decline in salmon population. But also from commercail netting in most rivers in Western Washington. And the sealions are decimating the young sturegon below the dams on the Columbia river. I’m all for the killing of the sealions.
Alick says
The reason for the decimation is forced concentration of the fish giving the seals an advantage they might not otherwise have. Nature is not always fair to itself or others. Man just complicates things.
no snagn says
Damn dam’s…Is this my Salmon fishn buddy?? If so tell your mom thanks again for the pic, It’s on my fishn desk.
Norm says
SHIVELEY,
HOW ABOUT SEA LIONS SO AGGRESSIVE THAT THEY ATTACK CHILDREN PLAYING ON THE RIVER BANK???
WAPOW says
shiveley,
have you seen one of the sea lions in action?
shiveley says
I just think it’s funny that people blame animals for “decimating” fish species when commercial fishing, agricultural manipulation of waterways, and dam building have had greater impact on fish populations than any seal ever could.
no snagn says
Agreed! And why are we selling people water that live in a desert and on top of that want to grow large lawns there??? And Dams should have mandatory huge fish ladders..! Where are the Hippies and Tree huggers when ya need em???
Alayna Renee says
I have to agree with shively. As I may have said, I enjoy fishing as much as anyone, but humans ARE the blame for many existing problems with the environment and animal population. But I assure you, the solution is not to continue meddling, as some put it. The solution is to stop trying to control mother nature. Let it take its course. Stop murdering defenseless, intelligently inferior animals because they eat ‘your’ salmon. They are not yours. If you are a true fisherman you would learn to live in sync with nature instead of constantly destroying something because it inconveniences you. Quit being selfish. Seals and sea lions need to eat too. And if theres a shit load of them, its because thats how its supposed to be. Some of you just like killing things for the heck of it, and those of you who are guilty of this– are a disgrace.