Sea lions killed to protect endangered salmon
Dozens of sea lions could be killed off the United States’ north Pacific coastline to stop them feasting on endangered wild salmon, wildlife officials say.
Almost half a million chinook salmon are expected to make the spring migratory journey up the Columbia river towards the Bonneville Dam near Portland, Oregon, compared to just 169,000 in 2009. But there are fears that could trigger a feeding frenzy for sea lions who prey on the fish as they gather in the waters under the dam.
Last week a Californian sea lion was caught and euthanised and wildlife officials admit they have up to 63 serial offenders in their sights as part of a programme introduced last year to protect the salmon.
Last year 11 sea lions were killed while four more were transferred to aquariums and zoos.
Previous efforts to ward the giant sea mammals away from the salmon runs have included shooting them with rubber bullets and exploding bombs underwater. But Jessica Sall, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that although the number of sea lions at the dam had dropped, the animals on the hit list had ignored all deterrents.
“To get on that list, we have to have observed them as distinct individuals,” said Sall. “They are not responding to hazing, and they’re eating chinook salmon.”
Sea lions are protected creatures under U.S. federal law but an amendment allows some to be killed if states request it. In Oregon and Washington that move has been backed by Indian groups and sport and commercial fishing lobbies.
But critics argue that the dams along the Columbia River are a much greater threat to the salmon than the sea lions and say that fishermen catch up to three times as many salmon more each year than the sea lions.