The Sea Lion verses the Fleet

The Sea Lion Verses the Fleet;
Conservation or Catastrophe?

The massive sleek-fur-covered head of a sea lion breaks the surface of the water, fifty pounds of chrome bright Chinook salmon gripped in its mighty jaws! It shakes the fish with savage zeal sending glistening drops of water, and blood froth flying in all directions, staining the water with a swirling crimson cloud. After a few moments the belly tares free. The hunter then releases the gut-ripped carcass to catch another, and the mangled fish sinks slowly out of sight. Our coastline specifically the Columbia River, hosts an annual gathering of marine life every salmon season. The most commonly complained about species being the sea lion. The two genuses of sea lion in the area are California sea lions, and Stellar or northern sea lions. These furry pinnipeds have been protected for many years now after almost being hunted to extinction (around fifty) for their skins and oil in the pre-1900’s era. This has been particularly effective, as evidenced by the great barking herds which have colonized the East End Mooring Basin, the disconnected tip of the south jetty, and any other basins, ports, or exposed rocks in the area. Sea lions are more prolific now then any other time in even vaguely recent history. Sharks and orcas are their only natural predators other than us, and there are not enough of them to control the population. I believe we should trim the herds as we do with other species.
The major complaint about sea lions, is that they kill a large percentage of the salmon, and Steelhead runs; they just gut rip them, and toss them aside, wasting almost the whole fish. Other complaints range from the sinking of docks, to attacks on unwary boat owners and dock goers. The issue has been a problem since the early 1990s, the lions continue to confound engineers and devour fish. The lions range from the ocean to the bottom of Bonneville dam, one hundred and forty five miles up river. Many of the fishermen both commercial and sport have asked for either a season or population control of some kind. One such proposal is to allow the harvesting of lions inside the buoy ten line, (which is also where the sport fishing begins for the river) while allowing them free run of the open sea(using only sonic deterrents like seal bombs to keep them away from the catch). This would allow the killing of any lions upriver of buoy ten in the mouth of the Columbia, while protecting those outside, and allowing them to hunt the water west of the river. Still more ask for open season on all sea lions in all fisheries, during the runs. A recent proposal by NOAA fisheries calls for the killing of thirty sea lions every year (only California lions would be targeted). The lions doing the mass killings at Bonneville Dam are California sea lions, while our local Stellar sea lions don’t travel farther up river than Longview. Stellar lions tend to prey on marine fish rather than salmon and steelhead. An adult sea lion can typically eat five to seven salmon per day. A single lion kills many fish but only eats a small percentage of what it kills. Year by year the fish counters read reduced numbers in the salmon population while we watch news reels of huge sea lions trapping fish after fish against the base of Bonneville dam’s fish ladders, and feasting on their guts discarding the meat in their haste to glut some more. Huge numbers of carcasses float unused to the bottom. This is especially frustrating to fishermen because the fisheries are in trouble, and that’s a fact. Some 100 sea lions consumed 3-4 percent of the 106,000 spring Chinook salmon run that passed the counters there (that’s 3,180 fish); state biologists say additional fish were consumed down river. Last year there were estimated to be 500-1,000 sea lions hunting the Columbia River (by the previously mentioned figure that’s potentially 15,900-31,800 fish). NOAA has recommended killing some thirty lions a year to deal with this issue, but is it enough? There are less fish and more lions (and people) than ever before. It is clear something must happen to create a balance in the ecosystem, the question is do we do it, or let nature have the ball, and wait for their food supply to control their numbers?
”They were here first, and it’s their ocean.” is a rallying call for the defenders of these sea wolves. What right do we have to dictate where or how another species hunts? Their ancestors hunted this river for thousands of years before humans even learned how to fish; doesn’t that give them the right to eat as many as they want? I agree with these statements. I am also a fisherman, and have deep feelings on the subject of my fish!
As we debate the issue many fishermen, both sport and commercial have taken matters into their own hands. This year biologists estimate they could kill up to ten percent of the spring run. Deterrent methods have escalated from seal bombs to 30-06 rounds, razor tipped arrows, and buckshot. Unfortunately in taking this course they have committed the same offence that the sea lions are guilty of, shameful waste. Doesn’t it make more sense to have a real lion season, so that harvesting (that is, killing and using as much of the carcass as possible) rather than wasting the animals would be the normal practice?
Pinnipeds were used for both oil and skin but also as a food source by many native peoples in ages past. I believe that if properly represented these products could be quite marketable. We could make local water proof clothing from the hides, and render the fat into homemade cooking oil, plus add another variety of exotic wild meat to the myriad already offered by our smoke shacks, and butchers. All of these could play on the tourist industry (more local income) and give the killing of these beasts some purpose other than just keeping them off the nets. The bottom line is as long as humans and pinnipeds compete for food sources we will be at odds. So why not remove as much waste as possible? We need to institute a reasonable and lucid management plan that both prevents over hunting, and keeps numbers within reason. This needs to happen soon for everyone’s sake.