Federal Government Allows Killing Of Sea Lions To Save Salmon

Federal Government Allows Killing of Sea Lions to Save Salmon

There's still hope!

posted by GoFISHn at 24 hours ago Tags: Salmon

Sea lions are wreaking havoc on the salmon populations, but there haven't been a lot of options for curbing the protected marine mammals. But the federal government has given Washington, Oregon and Idaho the go-ahead to kill up to 92 animals annually for the next four years.

According to The Bulletin, starting in 2008, Oregon and Washington killed dozens of sea lions to help restore salmon numbers. But the Humane Society was successful in stopping the management practice in 2010.

According to NOAA, the number of salmon eaten by the sea lions peaked in 2010 at 6,000. Last year that number dropped to 3,600, or 1.5 percent, of the total number of returning fish.

The ruling will allow states to take a limited number of sea lions only after all non-lethal means are eliminated. The sea lions will be trapped, first, and they will try to find placements for the animals in aquariums. But hopefully this will help keep those salmon numbers climbing. --Brian McClintock