San Francisco's Sea Lions headed 500 miles north for food?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/07/MN281BE41C.DTL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Sea_Lion

[David Lee]

" They're welcome

Wherever they land, they will most likely be welcomed. Sea lions are charismatic animals that often seem to behave like big dogs."



Right .

Hook a fish near one and see what it does . They can stay in Oregon ....

David

[michaeln]

Hook a fish near one and see what it does . They can stay in Oregon ....

I used to run a commercial salmon boat. I really don't like sea lions.

[TaylerW]

i like them when i see em through crosshairs

[Scott V]

I find it funny that people are blaming the sea lions for the decline in salmon. The seals have been around for a long time and have been eating salmon since they have been around. I think more research needs to be done in order to see what the real issue is. I am having a hard time believing it is the seals fault when they have been eating salmon for many many years. I saw a news report on how much sewage gets dumped into San Francisco bay on a daily basis due to its infrastucture "old sewage system" that is falling apart. Why not look into that possibly being one of the major causes. I feel that people are using the seals as a scapegoat when there is a bigger issue at hand. There has also been alot more commercial fishing boats then there was in the past. I feel that the real issue is not the existing animals causing the decline but more of a human action that is casuing the decline.

Fish numbers are in decline everywhere, look at how the bones are disappearing as well as tarpons and other fish in the waters.

This is just my personal opinion and my 3 cents.

[David Lee]

I find it funny that people are blaming the sea lions for the decline in salmon. The seals have been around for a long time and have been eating salmon since they have been around.

Hi Scott .

I don't see anyone blaming Sea Lions anywhere in this thread for the current Salmon problem ...... I am just saying that instead of being cute , Dog-like animals .... Seals/Sea Lions are large , DANGEROUS animals that will not hesitate to go into a boat after a hooked fish . I do believe that they are over populated and probably prey heavily on the few Salmon/Steelhead that we have left .

We are the real problem when it comes to the decline of Salmon and Steelhead . And Striped Bass . And Shad . And Sturgeon . And ...... ??

David

[Darian]

I'm kinda on the fence about this. Regardless of the species cited, most of them are in decline. Sea Lions may be a part of the problem as I believe they're over populated and eat a lot of Sashimi (so do I). Worse yet, they have a lot of sex, crap & whizz in the ocean (raw sewage, etc.). Then they eat their food in the same place.... OMG!!! :eek: They bug me when I'm trying to land a fish and a fur bag eats half of it. :nod: Sometimes they're grumpy but I'm finding that I'm increasingly grumpy as I turn into an ol' fart, too. :-\" In Davids case, I think they trying to spin or tow 'im around to see if he's really a float or top in his float tube. :lol:

Sea Lions don't seem to be overly impressed with us and move right in to take advantage of whatever we construct for their own benefit. :nod: If there's a bunch of 'em around, they can cause damage to docks, sink fishing boats and make it difficult to navigate the dock to get to your boat. :mad: They don't give a damn because they know we have insurance. :nod:

All of that being said, I really enjoy watching 'em. They're graceful and even comical in the water. I've never encountered one while diving but imagine they could be quite a force if they wanted to be. If I see one in the area I'm fishing in, I move to another location and don't advocate shooting them. :|

The overpopulation of Sea Lions is a direct consequence of legal protections afforded them by us. Altho, there must be someone monitoring, it isn't evident that they have any idea when the fur bag population is in balance. I guess the current situation is another unanticipated consequence of human interference in natures design. :nod:

[Scott V]

I wasn't meaning anyone on here David. Just the news I read in general.

[lee s.]

IF that pod of fur bags that were off the Russian depended on anadromous fishes from the Russian R. to sustain their beings, they certainly would have been FAR skinnier and less numerous.
It was reported in the Press Democrat last Thurs. that the steelhead were seen "pouring" into the river. What, all 12 of them?!!!
I have shot them while fishing.....commercial and sport. I have also fed them sea trout from the spines of my hawian spear while diving. I have been thoroughly spooked by one while diving in water with 3' visibility. The shadow of the middle of a dark animal underwater can be quite discerning when neither end can be identified.
I have also turned those tables on one that was thoroughly engrossed on my buddy dressing on the beach....the ONLY time I was able to put my hands ON one in the wild. Ever feel a wad of blubber turn to solid steel in an instant and JET away? AMAZING!
Just like the deer in Susan's meadow, occasionally one must be culled for the table or otherwise, but we DO admire and appreciate and are quite entertained by them the rest of the time.
....lee s.
PS - Though we did not score, it was quite enlightening to watch the Smith go from VERY high and discolored on New Year's Eve to EMERALD and fish being caught at Jed park on New Year's Day.
It was also a good lesson to witness society's "progress" running down ALL the other rivers as we came south on the Jan. 2 and the realization of where our anadromous fisheries REALLY went.

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Looks like seal and sea lion predation has been blamed in the past:
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases99/feb99/noaa99r107.html

[briansII]

According to this study, the fur bags.....I mean cute, marine mammals ;-) have a big appetite.

http://www.cbbulletin.com/364178.aspx

briansII

[Darian]

This situation seems to be one of the few instances where a successful re-establishment of a species has had the unintended consequence of competing with our (human) interests; fishing for Salmon/Steelhead. :nod:

Of course, we could petition to remove mandated protections and start a hunting season (like Deer/Elk, etc.). One requirement might be that you could only shoot a seal if you were able to retrieve the carcass and use all of the remains for food or some other purpose. That would allow us to utilize another source of protein, make a lot of fur available for fly tying, for making topcoats and hats, and reduce the pressure on anadromous fisheries. :nod: We'd have to be careful not to over utilize this source as it could result in reinstatement of the protections.... :rolleyes:

I can see it now. A skinned Seal carcass drying on a rack in the backyard while the hide is scraped to remove all the fat. Flies everywhere. MMM, MMM.... Seal stew or tenderloin.... Smoked or grilled. 8-) Thereby satisfying all of our needs until another cause comes along. :-\"

[David Lee]

This situation seems to be one of the few instances where a successful re-establishment of a species has had the unintended consequence of competing with our (human) interests; fishing for Salmon/Steelhead. :nod:

Of course, we could petition to remove mandated protections and start a hunting season (like Deer/Elk, etc.). One requirement might be that you could only shoot a seal if you were able to retrieve the carcass and use all of the remains for food or some other purpose. That would allow us to utilize another source of protein, make a lot of fur available for fly tying, for making topcoats and hats, and reduce the pressure on anadromous fisheries. :nod: We'd have to be careful not to over utilize this source as it could result in reinstatement of the protections.... :rolleyes:

I can see it now. A skinned Seal carcass drying on a rack in the backyard while the hide is scraped to remove all the fat. Flies everywhere. MMM, MMM.... Seal stew or tenderloin.... Smoked or grilled. 8-) Thereby satisfying all of our needs until another cause comes along. :-\"

Sell them to the nice folks in Japan ..... they taste just like Bluefin Tuna !!

(Topcoat ???)

David

[Darian]

Hmmm,.... Sea Lion Sashimi.... :question: :-&

[Tony Buzolich]

Darian,

Are you saying that sea lions were once endangered? And now have been "re-established"?

Perhaps the fur seal industry had some impact on that species farther north but I don't know of anyone who harvests these things besides starving Eskimos.

As for David's statement, RIGHT ON! I don't think the texture is quite the same as bluefin but they seem to enjoy the meat and blubber from whales and dolphins so sea lion ought to fit right in.
TONY

[David Lee]

Perhaps the fur seal industry had some impact on that species farther north but I don't know of anyone who harvests these things besides starving Eskimos.


I was watching Anthony Bourdain on the travel channel a while back ....

I think he was in Eastern Canada or Hudson Bay , or some such place .... and he went out w/ an Inuit Family and killed a Seal - they took it back and butchered it on the floor of the Family kitchen and ate that critter . I think the Inuit use every single part of whatever they harvest (a lesson WE could follow) so that nothing goes to waste .

As far as the ..... uhhh ..... esoteric taste of the Japanese - they do harvest Whales , so why not create a market for California Sea Lion (California - home of tasty Pinnipeds) ?? I don't think that thinning the huge population of these guys will hurt anything .

Whatever we do choose to do .... it isn't going to save Salmon or Steelhead in the long run -

David

[Darian]

Hi Tony,.... Guess I oughta be more careful about posting when I have my tongue planted in my cheek.... the bit about being re-established is my own assessment and the hunting season bit was the "tongue in cheek" part. :o

Of course, Sea Lions are still listed as an endangered species and recovery is a matter of opinion on the part of whoever you happen to be listening to at the moment. Apparently, Sea Lion populations vary throughout their range. Some almost non-existent. In the US and it's territories, I'd say there's not much monitoring of Sea Lion populations going on (given the condition of federal/state funding and the number of other problems to deal with....). So, the recovery of Sea Lion populations may not be officially recognized but it's undeniable that their numbers are increasing here. :-| Maybe a hunting season isn't so far fetched after all.... :confused:

Harvesting of Sea Lions still occurs throughout the worlds oceans. Google: commercial harvest of Sea Lions for a whole bunch of info about it. There's even an article about exploring a new market for Sea Lion products.... :nod:

[wjorg]

There is no overpopulation of seal lions and harbor seals, just an underpopulation of cod and other fish they used to thrive on. They now depend on sitting at river mouths, or swimming up them to ravage underpopulated anadramous fish. Seals never swap up rivers for Atlantic Salmon until the Cod were wiped out. I think the same thing goes for the pacific.

The Russians and other fur traders whacked the marine mammals so hard, it was a miracle they made it. I remember that when the seals come after my fish. They were here first.

If you want to git rid of marine mammals congregating at river mouths, reintroduce Brown Bears to the lowlands where they belong. They will go between clamming and going after napping seals. That is real fun to watch. Ever see a bear dig six feet in two minutes after a long necked clam trying to squirm away. Awesome!