Too Many Predators

[Tony Buzolich]

Lately there have been more and more news flashes about all the sea lions eating salmon to the point of extinction in some runs. Oregon and Washington have been aware of this problem for quite some time. As these are a federally protected animal there isn't much the average guy can do except complain. There are lots of YouTube videos showing these animals gorging on the salmon and steelhead, but it's not just those fish that are being eaton. Every river along the Pacific coast has these sea lions desimating whatever fish happens to around at the time. Salmon are always being in the spotlight but there is also the runs of striped bass and now shad that are being hit. Down in the delta it was common to see catfish heads floating on the surface with their bodies cut in half by sea lions eating only the soft part of the fish. I'm sure halibut out in the bay are getting hit by these animals too.

Lately I'm seeing sea lions up and above Yuba City chasing both striped bass and shad. Over on the Sac River it's the same way as they travel and follow the migrations of fish upstream. The American river had had sea lions at Paradise Beach for years. In Oregon and Washington the Columbia and Wilamette rivers have hundreds of sea lions more than sixty miles upstream from the coast.

My question is "Why?". Why are these over-populated animals being given Federal protection at the expense of local economies. California is crying about the poor returns of salmon, and commercial fishermen are going bankrupt trying to make a living. Inland the guides, and every local fisherman are all crying about the poor returns of fish. Yet we have both police as well as game wardens out protecting these invasive predators at the docks in downtown Sacramento as well as the mouth of the Feather River where the seals have camped out.

One YouTube video shows a frustrated fisherman running his boat over a pod of sea lions in the Columbia. Other videos show hundreds of sea lions miles upstream being trapped and hauled back to the coast, only to have them turn around and swim back upstream again.

What does a guy do? Fight the government while trying to save a natural resource?
Tony

[Rich Morrison]

We must be precise with our language. Sea Lions are not an invasive species. They are native. Anecdotal evidence and YouTube videos aren’t going to change anything. Local governments out there can lean on the feds to lift protections. But then what? A season on Sea Lions? That’ll never happen. The only thing that will impact the population is lack of food and natural predation. More sharks and less fish to eat will lower the numbers. I haven’t looked at any studies, but I very much doubt the Sea Lions are going to show up in any statistically meaningful way as being a problem. You can write to your state and federal senators and congress people to try and make change. But it seems unlikely that it’ll make a difference.

[Mike McCune]

I often am reminded of Walt Kelly's classic, "We have met the enemy and he is us".

[lee s.]

Just maybe, some enterprising individual could figure a way to harvest them and transport them WAY north to be sold for food. Just like wine, wood, and water, they are only useful to the government when sold and TAXED.
.....lee s.

[leicafish]

I often am reminded of Walt Kelly's classic, "We have met the enemy and he is us".

What is a guy to do?

1. Get informed. The number 1, 2 and 3 problems in CA are dams and water exports to the south resulting in loss of habitat. While predators can be problematic in certain locations like locks and dams, they are mostly just a scapegoat for those causing the most damage. The 2nd greatest predator of all, the orcas, are suffering from a lack of salmon too.

2. Join an organization that has our interests in alignment. Caltrout, TU, CSPA, Golden State Salmon Assoc, Friends of the River and others have folks fighting every day to improve our fisheries. It's a tough row to hoe. These underfunded NGO's are up against literal billionaires that have our leaders at the highest level in their pocket.

3. Support them. With money. Expertise. Volunteer time.

4. Vote for folks that have our interests aligned.

5. Go fish! Continue to enjoy and value our fisheries and get others into it too!

[mogaru]

female sterilization??? it could solve the problem. I'll leave to the scientist on how to do it.

[mogaru]

What is a guy to do?

1. Get informed. The number 1, 2 and 3 problems in CA are dams and water exports to the south resulting in loss of habitat. While predators can be problematic in certain locations like locks and dams, they are mostly just a scapegoat for those causing the most damage. The 2nd greatest predator of all, the orcas, are suffering from a lack of salmon too.

2. Join an organization that has our interests in alignment. Caltrout, TU, CSPA, Golden State Salmon Assoc, Friends of the River and others have folks fighting every day to improve our fisheries. It's a tough row to hoe. These underfunded NGO's are up against literal billionaires that have our leaders at the highest level in their pocket.

3. Support them. With money. Expertise. Volunteer time.

4. Vote for folks that have our interests aligned.

5. Go fish! Continue to enjoy and value our fisheries and get others into it too!

The sad reality, at least in California, if it wasn't for the "Dams" in California they provide constant cold water during the summer months most rivers in this glorious state would go dry or turn into a trickle of water unable to support trout or salmon populations.Sad but true.

[Darian]

....If it wasn't for the "Dams in California that provide constant cold water during the summer months most rivers in this state would go dry or turn into a trickle of water unable to support trout or salmon populations (paraphrased).

The anadromous fisheries that've developed below dams have existed before the dams were constructed even through low water and dry years. Dams, justifiably, get blamed for the need for hatcheries (and all their attendant negatives/positives); and provide cool water flows that benefit various fish species, agricultural/industrial activities and the lives of people in all political sub-divisions of the US. Even though we've all advocated removal of dams (some more than others....), I don't see any prospect for removal of the major dams in this state in the near future.

The main reason for over-population of pinnipeds are federal/state protections that were implemented at the federal level (EPA) long ago and the state (CalEPA/MLPA), in later years. Without some form of review the protections continue until the pinnipeds get over-populated.

I've noticed, on PBS, programs that allow hunting of these protected animals for subsistence on a limited basis by Native Americans. Maybe, the solution would be to open hunting of pinnipeds (on a limited/permitted basis) to CA tribes??

[Carl Blackledge]

Darian,

Well said.

Carl

[Woodman]

We can blame dams and water exports for fishery problems (which is true), but our reality in California is we had to trade some of our ecosystem health to become the most populous state and the 4th largest economy in the world. If you live here, you benefit from that. If you eat affordable food, you benefit from that. If you live elsewhere in the US, you benefit from that economic contribution.