Astoria Sea Lion Branding Sparks Outcry

One of the tactics used to manage problem sea lions that feast on endangered salmon and steelhead at the Bonneville Dam buffet on the Columbia has attracted the attention of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

The same activists that brought you Whale Wars are upset about the method the ODFW employs to tag problem animals for lethal removal or adoption by aquariums. That method? Branding. ODFW argues that branding does not harm the animals, despite them occasionally catching fire, and that there is no evidence supporting Sea Shepherd's claim of at least one animal dying in the process.

Good luck convincing the animal rights groups who are already actively fighting tooth and nail to stop the lethal removal program all together. Regardless of the science this is a public relations loser.

LINK (via: OPB)

NOAA reauthorizes killing of California sea lions at Bonneville Dam

Oregon, Washington and Idaho will be allowed to resume killing California sea lions at Bonneville Dam this spring.

NOAA authorized removal of up to 92 sea lions annually through May 2016 but estimates that 25 to 30 will be taken each year. The authorization allows taking only sea lions having a "significant negative impact" on salmon and steelhead.

LINK (Via: Oregon Live)

The Army Corp is also working up plans to deal with avian preadation of juvenile salmon and steelhead on the Columbia.  LINK (Via: Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Update on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 8:13PM by El Guapo

Plans to resume killing California sea lions that eat endangered salmon at Bonneville Dam are on hold again.

LINK

NOAA’s Sea Lion Task Force Again Discusses Lethal Removal Below Bonneville Dam

We have all been here before.

Some fracturing of support for the lethal removal of predatory California sea lions from the lower Columbia emerged this week during a discussion by the Pinniped-Salmon Interaction Task Force in Portland.

This task force had been firmly behind lethal removal of seal lions in 2007 and 2010 but now some members are walking back their support of lethal removal. 

LINK (Via: The Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Instead of debating the issue for another 4 years how bout we just shoot 100 of the fuckers and see what happens?

Time to break out the rubber bullets

Oregon and Washington agreed to suspend euthanizing sea lions caught feasting on endangered Columbia River salmon until September while the courts consider a lawsuit challenging such killings.

The Wild Fish Conservancy and the Humane Society of the United States sued the National Marine Fishers Service last week after the federal agency gave Oregon and Washington permission to resume capturing and killing California sea lions.

"Blaming sea lions is nothing but a distraction from facing up to the more politically difficult reasons why salmon are in trouble," Kurt Beardslee, executive director of the Wild Fish Conservancy, said in a statement.

LINK (Via:Reuters)

Sea Lion Removal To Resume At Bonneville Dam

Photo: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

Oregon and Washington have been authorized to resume "removing" California sea lions that gather just below the Columbia River's Bonneville Dam.

Removing being code for euthanize.

LINK (Via: NOAA)