Decision to allow lethal take of sea lions upheld. Good news for salmon, steelhead and sports fishing. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled last week that state officials from Oregon, Washington and Idaho are allowed to move, or kill, predatory sea lions that are impacting salmon runs. On September 27, the court ruled to affirm the action after the United States Humane Society challenged the practice of moving and eliminating sea lions that were eating salmon around Bonneville Dam.
“Any angler who has watched as these predatory sea lions have feasted on salmon at the base of the dam, know that this action is needed to protect our salmon runs,” said Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association executive director Liz Hamilton. “There have been billions of dollars spent trying to improve salmon runs, and to have unchecked predation diminish those efforts is frustrating to anyone who cares about our fisheries. The NSIA has invested a lot of time and money working with our partners to help improve the fish runs, and the ruling last week ensures that managing sea lion predation on Endangered Species Act listed fish is a part of our regional recovery efforts.”
Hamilton said when anglers release wild salmon, or sturgeon they leave the fish in the water, leaning over the sides of their boats, putting anglers at risk of being bitten or having their boat swamped by an aggressive, 800 pound predator.
“It really is a dangerous situation and this ruling helps to alleviate some of the more aggressive animals that put sports fishermen and salmon stocks at risk,” she said.
The capture and removal of sea lions are limited to California sea lions that are documented as targeting spring chinook or steelhead in any year near the dam. Bonneville is the first dam the returning fish encounter on their run to spawning grounds. Many times sea lions return to the dam, even after non-lethal hazing.
The National Marine Fisheries Service was asked to provide the court with an explanation about how sea lions were contributing to the decline of salmon listed in the Endangered Species Act. NMFS provided the court with a 13-page report of factual findings that the court agreed with.
The court also said it agreed with NMFS’s plan to reassess the situation in five years to determine whether lethal removal authorization should continue.
Biologists estimate that California sea lions have eaten from 1.5 percent to 4 percent of the returning adult salmon at the dam each spring.
Risks to humans and ESA-listed fish is not limited to below Bonneville Dam. The success of the Marine Mammal Protection Act has given rise to a population expansion in California sea lions affecting salmon returns and human safety in multiple locations. The NSIA will continue its support of co-manager’s efforts to deal with sea lion management in other problematic areas, Hamilton said.
The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association was established in Oregon City in 1993 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of sport fisheries and the businesses dependent upon them. NSIA is not a sport club, but an industry lobby group representing the business interests of the many members that depend on the sport of fishing for their livelihoods. NSIA has members worldwide.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Liz Hamilton
Executive Director
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
503-631-8859