Since 2006 California sea lions have been eating an alarming amount

[WB Staff]

In this 2018 photo, a California sea lion peers out from a restraint nicknamed "The Squeeze" near Oregon City, Ore., as it is prepared for transport by truck to the Pacific Ocean about 130 miles away. That effort, along with lethal removal, has cleared the way for winter steelhead on the Willamette. (Gillian Flaccus/Associated Press)


....Since 2006 California sea lions have been kegging up at the falls and eating an alarming number of the steelhead, which are federally listed as an endangered species. In 2017 only 822 steelhead made it past the sea lions. The run was calculated to have an 89 percent chance of going extinct.

The number of steelhead passing the falls rose to 3,202 in spring of 2019, after a number of sea lions were removed.

“They removed 12 of the habitual offenders last year,” said Rick Swart, a public information officer for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The hope is that by removing those there would be fewer that return early in the season, right about now.”

In all, 33 California sea lions were euthanized in 2018-19 at Willamette Falls....

Read the whole story at The Columbian: https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/dec ... steelhead/

[mark poulson]

If only they'd do the same thing in the Delta.

[185vsfrog]

If only they'd do the same thing in the Delta.

Ah men!