No reprieve for condemned NW sea lions

[Toni]

No reprieve for condemned NW sea lions

04:22 PM PST on Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Associated Press

NOAA

The Humane Society of the U.S. says sea lions eat less than 4 percent of salmon at Bonneville Dam.

PORTLAND, Ore. - A federal judge says state governments can proceed with plans to kill up to 85 California sea lions a year for five years in the Columbia River at Bonneville Dam, where they gather annually to plunder the spring chinook salmon run.

The Humane Society of the United States went to court to block the killings, claiming among other things that the sea lion predation was relatively insignificant compared to threats such as dams, fishing and hungry birds.

A Humane Society official, Sharon Young, says the group will appeal.

Charles Hudson of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission said the decision validated the analysis that the federal agency NOAA Fisheries did in granting "airtight authority" for the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho to go ahead with sea lion removal.

U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman said in September that he had hoped to rule in a couple of weeks to give the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals time to decide the case before the spring salmon run and the return of the sea lions.

He ruled that while other factors may contribute to a decline in salmon stocks, the government doesn't have to take that into account in determining whether to remove predatory sea lions.

Barring a reversal, Hudson said, there still should be time for the states and tribes to get removal plans in place.

In March, NOAA Fisheries authorized the states to kill up to 85 sea lions described as the worst predator offenders and repeat visitors to the dam.

The agency listed about 60 -- identifiable by branding, scars or other markings -- for "immediate removal" based in part on observed predation. The order encouraged trapping them if possible for placement in aquariums or zoos. Those that can't be trapped would be shot by marksmen from the shore. Those who are trapped but cannot be placed could be euthanized

Several sea lions were trapped and sent to marine parks or zoos before six were found dead in a trap at the base of the dam last spring. Two endangered Steller sea lions and a California sea lion pup were among the six that had been trapped for relocation.

Although gunshots were ruled out, federal officials have not determined a cause of death. The plan to kill or permanently remove sea lions has been on hold since then.

The California sea lions, once in sharp decline, are far from endangered and now may number near 300,000. They are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammals Protection Act.

In 1994 Congress passed an amendment to the act that permits the U.S. secretary of commerce to allow states to kill certain identifiable sea lions "which are having a significant negative impact on the decline or recovery" of salmonoid stocks listed as threatened or endangered.

The three states asked in 2006 for authority to remove the sea lions after attempts to shoo them away with firecrackers and beanbags failed.

NOAA Fisheries defined "significant negative impact" as predation that is growing and likely to increase, that has a measurable effect on the number of listed adult salmon and steelhead, and that is comparable to other causes of death that have led to action under the Endangered Species Act.

Mosman wrote in an opinion dated Tuesday that "the statutory text is the authoritative statement of Congress's intent" and that the government is not required to consider other reasons for the decline of salmon stocks.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers calculates that based on observation, the sea lions have taken from between .4 percent and 4.2 percent of the run each year between 2002 and 2007. The percentages were based in part on the size of the annual runs, which can vary greatly.

Mosman said NOAA Fisheries reasonably concluded that the actual predation rate is higher that the observed take.

Mosman wrote that removal of the animals would increase the number of salmon and steelhead making it past the dam to spawning grounds, but it would not significantly affect the abundant sea lion population. He said an environmental impact statement sought by the Humane Society is not required for a project that has only beneficial effect.

He generally dismissed contentions that sea lion removal would adversely affect recreational viewing of the animals.

[swedefish4life1]

The greenies:-({|= have this all spun bad and have not a clue on there numbers and natural waters they came from.
More policy and politics gone bad.
1st they eat the gut's and roe and toss the fish waisting the fish in part and whole and are back on another fish asap = killing them not eating them machines:batman:

Every program has failed for the fish about the fish on seal's and Sealion's and soon this will be as large as impact or more then tribe and commercial netting.

How many years must this go on before John Wayne steps back up and levels the playing field and balances that were impacted by man in truth but like most education for fish about fish and fish and sports/fishing is a Cash cow:-$ for all in the economy State , local and Federal levels.
Not supporting sealions#-o
Bottom line sportsman pay$$$ on all the programs and are provide the least returns and each year and less products for the dollars spent!:-$
Hunting and fishing across the State!

Lobby support is needed the greenies have many lobby lawyers:^o the sportsman have few

We need more Top Dogs not State goofs Write each and all at the federal level heros there souls are not sold out yet:colors:

If all else fails we heard a Viking warrior (1-800-blastandcastlions) works after hours on these projects and something about a hollow point or 12:compress:

[GJorgy]

Let the Natives have their half of the sea lions...