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Visit Oregon to see them capturing and killing sea lions
People like sea lions. But they must like salmon more. And because sea lions feast on threatened salmon in Oregon, they were given a death sentence on Tuesday.
Traps, pyrotechnics and beanbags shot at sea lions have failed to deter the annual springtime feast of threatened salmon at a Columbia River Dam, so federal authorities ordered some of them to be "removed," according to AP.
The National Marine Fisheries Service authorized Oregon and Washington officials to first attempt to catch the sea lions that arrive at the base of the Bonneville Dam and hold them 48 hours to see whether an aquarium, zoo or similar facility will take them. Otherwise, they could be euthanized, along with those that avoid trapping.
I realize that the sea lion population has soared. They numbered about 1,000 in the 1930s, when they were hunted and used, among other purposes, for dog food. They are thought to number about 240,000 today. But still, they seem way too cute to be killed.
Filed under: North America, United States, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kaca_leach Mar 19th 2008 4:45PM
That is so sad! Another great example how we, humans, constantly create imbalance in nature...I guess if the consumption of salmon didn't more than double in the US in past 20 years (http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/greatsalmonrun/SalmonReport_Ch_8.pdf)
so many of these cute creatures wouldn't have to die =(
Matt Mar 19th 2008 5:19PM
Cute should not be a criteria for what lives and what dies. I hope they don't waste the meat. Mmmm, barbequed seal.
iomatic Mar 19th 2008 6:44PM
It's to protect endangered Chinook Salmon; stop waving your vegetarian flags for a moment.
Bummer we have to do this— I don't support it either. Any other ideas?
Mary Hansen Mar 19th 2008 6:50PM
Native Americans have fishing rights in those rivers and they are losing out.
pam Mar 20th 2008 1:29PM
"Way to cute to be killed" is too simplistic. I hate what happens to the sea lions, but I live in Seattle and have read, repeatedly of the trouble they cause by parking in the Ballard locks and feasting on the salmon that are heading upstream to spawn. A few years back they airlifted the big hungry critters out, relocated them, only to find they'd return to their favorite salmon bar. "Mmm, trapped salmon!"
It's just not that simple. I'm a tree hugging seal lovin' fish eatin' lefty, and I get there's more to this story than cute. A little more homework before posting this headline would have been useful.
MaB Mar 20th 2008 11:01AM
If the sea lions had been removed when they first started showing up at Bonneville, there would not be much of a problem. They have learned from each other.
Sea lions may be "cute" from a distance, but those things are big and not nearly so cute up close.
Hopefully, most will go to zoos, etc., but it would be a shame to waste the furs and meat if some do have to be killed.
ms Mar 20th 2008 3:12PM
I find it interesting that if one watches the National News this problem of lowered salmon populations is being talked about by fishermen in California....the big difference is that they believe the lowered population is due to the lowering water level of the Sacramento river because of the agriculture industry.
It's easier to blame the sea lions I guess but they can't eat what doesn't make it to the table.
jim p Mar 26th 2008 11:35PM
Those Poor Poor Salmon ,dont have a chance,the big old mean Seals are eating them like french fries,the indians are eating them ,the regular fishing public is eating them ,And you wonder why the salmon is endangered and needing protection and the seals are multiplying like crazy ,Hum Maybe if we taught the salmon how to catch and eat the seals ,then let the public catch and eat them along with the indians ,We would have plenty of salmon and the normal amount of those very cute pretty seals that would bite you in a second with that cute little look they use to draw you in close.Just like anything that has been allowed to feast and then repopulate as fast as they can because food is abundent ,there are now to many seals which is off setting natures natural balance of things,So now its time to even the score up and put some seal steaks on the barbie,and i hear the skins make good gear .Ir would you rather the seal population continue to multiply out of control ,eliminateing the salmon all together and then look for another food souyrce or move on to another area there not native to?????? Lets make some responsible decisions here ,thin the seals out or capture the females or males which ever is easier to Fix and slow down there reproductive cycle by eliminating about half of there potential,then relocate some of them so you don't have so many fertile ones there with the non fertile ones and you slim your seal population down and you don't have to kill any of them ,Proper management like anything and everything can survive together if the populations are balanced to normal levels and kept in check,threw sterilization management of the seals Population ,there all right there at the same spot trapping them fixing them would seem a bit easier than trapping and booking them a plane ticket outa there ,Id bet its much cheaper that flying them out ,only for them to return again,If you have that much money to waste I could use a trip to Hawaii ,With sterilizing them you also do not incur the reaccureing yearly costs of controlling the seals and the loss of so much salmon,I'm sure the salmon population would rebound quickly after the seal population stabilized or declined at a point in the future, And the price of salmon dropps and we can all afford to eat it again .