Sea lions chomped about 20 to 25 percent of this year's winter steelhead run in the Willamette Rive

[WB Staff]

...That's a problem because just over 500 native winter steelhead passed the falls in 2017, the lowest run size ever recorded, Shaun Clements, senior research scientist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council Sept. 12.

ODFW recently applied for a lethal take permit in an effort stem the losses caused by 40 or so sea lions, whose numbers have steadily increased since 2015.

The run has been in trouble for a while, and NOAA Fisheries listed the upper Willamette River winter steelhead as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1999, citing the impact of federal dams and loss of habitat.

But now the immediate threat is from California sea lions...

Read the rest: http://www.westernbass.com/article/sea- ... extinction

[SilverbackDad]

Every time I see big sea lions chomping on bass in the Delta, completely care free due to lack of predators...I contemplate the consequences of taking one out.

[george]

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen Sea Lions catching and eating Salmon, Catfish and Bass throughout the California delta. I think they could be a very big part of the Salmon crisis as if one gravid female does not make it up to the spawning area then thousands of smolt will not make it out to sea. A thousand adult salmon taken by them could very well equate to potentially millions of young salmon not being spawned!
Have Sea Lions even been thought about in the equation as part of the problem?

George

[briansII]

George. It's well documented what sea lions are doing to threatened fish populations on the west coast.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/SeaLion/

http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/sealions/predation.html

Not sure what, if anything California does, but Oregon and Washington do take some action.

[monte300]

I have witnessed sea lions eating on the Delta twice, both times they were eating carp. I always figured they will eat anything they can catch. There seems to be a resident sea lion or two on Empire Cut and Tiki Lagun because I see them often there.

[Bassfishman]

Why isn't there a local Indian Tribe that can legally take matters in their own hands and do something to prohibit the seals from eating so many steelhead?

[Ringer]

I just got back from fishing salmon on the Columbia river and the guide said they had approval to kill sea lions in the river to protect the salmon runs. Likely government hunters will do the work. First I have heard of the feds allowing culling of the animals.