A sea lion catches a salmon on the Columbia River just below the spillway at Bonneville Dam. (The Associated Press)
A new bill co-sponsored by Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader would address the growing number of sea lions congregating at Bonneville Dam by giving authorities more leeway to kill them.
The Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., would change the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow tribal members to kill sea lions and harbor seals. Before resorting to bullets, the tribal members would first need to make several unsuccessful attempts to move the animals and receive training from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bill has support from the Coastal Conservation Association, a fishing group, and the Columbia Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
“Our tribes are working hard to restore balance, wherever we can, in a highly altered and degraded river system,” said Paul Lumley, the group’s executive director. “The Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act are thoughtful laws that need to be reconciled with one another.”
Bonneville Dam creates a barrier for fish in the Columbia River, making it a lucrative feeding ground for the sea lions. Because many of the salmon they eat are endangered, it also creates a dilemma for fish and wildlife managers.
Fishery managers say the number of sea lions eating salmon at Bonneville Dam has increased since they first began showing up in 2002, forcing them to put more effort into relocating the animals. Last year, fish and wildlife officials in Washington and Oregon observed more than 600 sea lions in the lower Columbia River and killed dozens of them.
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