But, will it be enough?

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

Sorry, I realize that this only concerns a small portion of the FAOL family, but to the few of us, that fish for these wonderful fish and have been fighting, for years, for “something to be done, about the Sea Lions”, it’s pretty encouraging news!
However, as the thread title suggests… “Will it be enough”?
These Sea Lions, that are decimating a portion of our wild and even, hatchery fish, are over 170 river miles from their “natural habitat”.

From the Associated Press; Jan.18th, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) ? A federal agency recommended killing about 30 sea lions a year at a Columbia River dam where the marine animals feast on salmon migrating upriver to spawn. By many estimates, the sea lions devour about 4 percent of spring runs. Fishermen and Columbia River tribes have urged action for years against the sea lions at Bonneville Dam.
The recommendation in the report released Thursday by NOAA Fisheries Service was short of what Oregon, Washington and Idaho had requested in 2006.
At least three of the upper Columbia River spring salmon runs that pass through the dam are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, most significantly the spring chinook salmon run.
Sea lions are attracted to the dam east of Portland because of the large number of fish that gather there to pass through the “fish ladders” ? or openings in the structure that allow fish to continue swimming upstream to spawning grounds.
Sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but are not considered threatened. An amendment to the 1972 law allows states to get permission to kill identifiable sea lions or seals that have “a significant negative impact” on at-risk salmon and steelhead. NOAA Fisheries can grant the states’ requests under some conditions.
NOAA plans to take public testimony on four alternatives through Feb. 19 and make a decision in March. If the recommendation is implemented, a committee approved by NOAA would set standards for capturing or killing the sea lions.
The other alternatives were to take no action; to continue using such nonlethal weapons as rubber buckshot and large firecrackers, which has not been effective; or to kill all sea lions within about five miles of the dam, which could affect about 150 animals.
The last alternative is closer to what the states wanted. Opponents argue sea lions aren’t the real problem, instead blaming predatory birds, deteriorating habitat and hydroelectric dams themselves.
Sharon Young, marine issues field director of the Humane Society of the United States, said it is not clear how the NOAA numbers are tied to impact on fish.
“There are a lot of very complex problems affecting the fish, and this will do little to help the fish,” Young said. “It is not clear that this will do anything other than kill sea lions.”
But leaders of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission said the recommendation is critically needed to protect salmon. The group’s statement said some sea lions have “become adept at exploiting endangered salmon seeking to enter the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam.”
A similar application was made in the 1990s when steelhead were being devoured by sea lions at Ballard Locks in Seattle.
Before an order to kill them went into effect, a public outcry resulted in a reprieve, and Sea World in Florida took three identified as troublemakers.
The sea lions had killed up to 65 percent of the winter steelhead at the locks linking Puget Sound with Union and Washington lakes, and the run has not fully recovered.

2

The Sea Lions have a banquet at Bonneville Dam. Can you blame them? We built the Dams and there taking advantage of that fact. I’m glad that I have never had a Sea Lion steal the Salmon off my line.
I wonder if eliminating the Sea Lions is going to help the Salmon runs, but it will probably help the fishermen’s blood pressure.
Doug

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Simple answer is, make much better fish ladders; ones that actually work. Century’s ago there were ninety times the fish we have now and the SL were not a problem. There were no dam’s to hold the fish back.

4

Ex-ack-a-lee, JC, right on and that’s the point of the SLs and the dams… the poorly designed “so called fish ladders”, to the fish, are just like a crowd of people waiting to get on an escalator.
They jam up, at the bottom, until there’s room/space, for them to get started on their way. In the meantime, of course, the Sea Lions merely loll around at the bottom of the “escalator” and pick and choose the fattest and closest Salmon and/or, Steelhead they can get to.
And, of course, it’s a “learned experience” that man and his dams, have provided for them. Otherwise, what is a 200 to 300 pound, indigenous to the ocean shores, mammal doing over 170 miles, inland, in fresh water…looking for an easy meal?
You’re a “west coaster”, also JC so I’m sure you’ve read the reports in the papers where a fisherman has had his fish literally “chomped in half”, as he lifted it from the water to get it into his boat!?! Fishermen bitten, by Sea Lions, as they try and revive a wild catch, while holding it along side their boat to revive it because a SL saw this as an “easy meal”.
I don’t think they’ve actually set the “kill limit per year”, high enough, to do much good. Of course, removing the dams, would be nicer and far more productive to our runs. But, then again, we could also wish for “an honest politician”, I suppose!?

5

I’m not knowlegeable about this problem, so I’d like to ask a couple of questions. I know it’s not popular, but would listing the salmon as “endagered” or “threatened” give their existence priortiy over sea lions? With the inadequate fish ladders being a problem, and sea lions predating at will amongst the staging salmon/steelhead, what other detrimental effects beside the obvious one does this decimation have on the fish? Anyone have any hard facts about the economic repurcussions that removing the dams would have?

6

Lew,
Here is an excerpt from an Article about Salmon species; Quote;The court ruled that the ESA does not allow the agency to list a subset of a distinct population segment: it cannot list the natural fish in an ESU without listing the hatchery fish that are part of the same ESU; it cannot list the anadromous fish in an ESU without listing the resident fish that are part of the same ESU."
Here is the Article;http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/ESA-Salmon-Listings/Salmon-Populations/
Doug

7

Lew;
Very good questions and ones that have plagued the issue, on both sides, for many years.
To answer your first question, as the press release states, above;
At least three of the upper Columbia River spring salmon runs that pass through the dam are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, most significantly the spring chinook salmon run.
However, even WITH these designations in place, for the fish…
"Sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but are not considered threatened".
To go into ALL of the peoples and groups involved in this issue, and their reasonings, would take pages, here, which would still be only redundant news.
But, there are many involved… with the “animal rights activists”, going to court in defense of the SLs,and the Indian tribal councils, sport/commercial fishermen in defense of the fish, etc.
As to “other detriments to the fish”; basically, having to make it past the Sea Lions, the FIRST time here at the coast, only to have to try and get past them, AGAIN, in order to spawn is reason enough really.

Many, agree, that “If it were merely a case of Sea Lions following the fish upriver and nature taking its course, would be one thing and not much issue would be raised”.
But, it’s really the “slaughterhouse effect”, caused by inadequate fish ladders and the past nonchalant attitudes of those that control and oversee these spawning pathways that have started this feud to begin with and keeps the fires fueled.

Added to that, the fact that these Sea Lions are not indigenous to the Columbia River system, over 170 miles, inland and there have been increasing episodes of sport and commercial fisherman having their catches effected, even to the point, lately, of recorded injuries and attacks by the SLs and the problem is only snowballing.
All past efforts, to control, and/or, scare off/remove these Sea Lions have failed miserably.
As for economic repercussions from removing the dams, themselves… well, that topic alone, is more fuel for endless debate of course!!

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Quote;DESCRIPTION: California sea lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness, and noisy barking. Their color ranges from chocolate brown in males to a lighter, golden brown in females. Males may reach 1,000 lbs. (more often 850 lbs., or 390 kg) and seven feet (2.1 m) in length. Females grow to 220 lbs. (110 kg) and up to six feet (1.8 m) in length. They have a “dog-like” face, and at around five years of age, males develop a bony bump on top of their skull called a sagittal crest. The top of a male’s head often gets lighter with age. These members of the otariid or walking seal family have external ear flaps and large flippers that they use to “walk” on land. The trained “seals” in zoos and aquariums are usually California sea lions. End Quote.
Source; The Marine Mammal Center
Doug