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[troutbreath]

Protected sea lions found slaughtered
 
Michael Milstein
The Oregonian


Wednesday, May 07, 2008


PORTLAND -- Federal officials have pledged a review of security at Bonneville Dam after six protected sea lions were found dead Sunday, apparently shot and killed by someone who entered a restricted area at the federal dam complex on the Columbia River.

Officials examined the carcasses of the six animals but recovered no bullets, a sign they may have been shot at close range with a high-powered weapon.

Bullets from high-powered weapons would be more likely to pass through the animals.

Officials said it's likely that whoever shot the animals gained access to an island closed to the public, closed traps on the six sea lions from behind camouflage netting, and then shot them.

Some fishermen worried the brazen killings would provoke enough public backlash that it might derail efforts to control sea lion numbers through federally sanctioned trapping or shooting.

"What happened is an absolute disaster," said Dennis Richey, executive director of Oregon Anglers who served on a panel that looked at how to deal with the sea lions, which eat migrating salmon below the dam.

He said he doubted fishermen were behind the killings, though many are clearly frustrated at how many salmon the sea lions consume.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

[southpa]

The chinook are just boiling over Bonneville right now. Those dudes are probablly eating pretty good right now. Something needs to be done but trapping and relocating just take them a few days to return. I think the they should let the Natives take a hundred or so every other year.We don't need the public angry with sportsman.   Southpa

[gman]

That happens locally too. Took the ferry back from Saltspring on Sunday and there was a large sea liion carcass floating near the west end of active pass. It was one of the big ones (Californias?) that was maybe 1000-2000 pounds. The BC ferries lookout at the front of the boat said he sees them quite often, and that a commerical fisherman probably shot it.

A couple of years ago in the Queen Charlottes I saw a small fishing boat approach a rocky outcrop where sea lions where on shore and heard a bunch of shots from a small caliber (like a 0.22) rifle. Once all the sea lions jumped in nthe water the boat just motored on. So it must happen all the time.

[bentrod]

Necropsy reports came back this afternoon and the cause of death was not from being shot.  There was one old wound in a sea lion with the slug still lodged in the blubber, but it healed up from it.  Blood analysis results are due back soon.  There are strange holes kind of like bite marks in them.  That's all I know, I'll keep you informed as I find out more. 

[Sam Salmon]

That happens locally too. Took the ferry back from Saltspring on Sunday and there was a large sea liion carcass floating near the west end of active pass. It was one of the big ones (Californias?) that was maybe 1000-2000 pounds. The BC ferries lookout at the front of the boat said he sees them quite often, and that a commerical fisherman probably shot it.

Well I'll be danged!
Imagine that eh?

A couple of years ago in the Queen Charlottes I saw a small fishing boat approach a rocky outcrop where sea lions where on shore and heard a bunch of shots from a small caliber (like a 0.22) rifle. Once all the sea lions jumped in nthe water the boat just motored on. So it must happen all the time.

You betcha it does and so it should.

[troutbreath]

I've heard when there's enough Seals and Sea Lions on earth will all get sucked into a black vortex. There's only a few gate keepers left staving off the masses.

[marmot]

SS...

1:  Sea lions are a protected species.
2:  Its illegal to discharge a firearm from a vehicle, including a boat.

Let the people with an at least "semi" accurate idea of the numbers (ie. biologists) tell DFO when to cull sea lions...if it's even necessary...maybe you have some figures that show excessive mortality of salmon attributable to sea lions?? 

[bentrod]

In the US, both sea lions and seals are protected under the Marine Mamals Protection Act.  In this specific case, a couple of Stellar Sea Lions were in the group.  They are afforded the additional protection of the Endangered Species Act. 

[Every Day]

That happens locally too. Took the ferry back from Saltspring on Sunday and there was a large sea liion carcass floating near the west end of active pass. It was one of the big ones (Californias?) that was maybe 1000-2000 pounds. The BC ferries lookout at the front of the boat said he sees them quite often, and that a commerical fisherman probably shot it.

Well I'll be danged!
Imagine that eh?

A couple of years ago in the Queen Charlottes I saw a small fishing boat approach a rocky outcrop where sea lions where on shore and heard a bunch of shots from a small caliber (like a 0.22) rifle. Once all the sea lions jumped in nthe water the boat just motored on. So it must happen all the time.

You betcha it does and so it should.

Lol you took my side on the Vedder River seal too I remember.... I guess everyone is still on the same side, I could pretty much care less if a few seals are knocked off, especially ones in rivers.

[bentrod]

I had one pop up about 20 yards from me on the Harrison a few years back.  I almost filled my waders.  I wasn't expecting to see something like that pop up next to me.  Good thing bull sharks aren't particularly fond of cold water.  They've been known to show up 1000 miles up some fresh water rivers and kill unsuspecting villagers. 

[nosey]

  Wow do they really have federal sanctioned trapping and shooting of sea lions in the States, I guess their conservation laws can't be all bad after all. At one time the sea lions were the top of the marine food chain on the west coast, now humans have replaced them, unfortunately we can't replace them without controlling their numbers or else we create a complete imbalance of nature and everyone starves.
  We do have quite a few salmon farm pens up here in BC right full of sea lion food that they could be relocated to rather than senselessly killing them that way the salmon farming people could really make good on their claims of helping wild salmon.

[troutbreath]

Sea lions were not shot, fisheries officials say
 
I guess someone "assumed" they were shot when in fact they died from razor burn infection.


Michael Milstein
The Oregonian


Friday, May 09, 2008


PORTLAND -- Backing away from earlier suggestions that six sea lions were brazenly gunned down at Bonneville Dam on the weekend, federal fisheries officials said Wednesday they do not know how the animals died. They said they initially thought, based on puncture wounds on the neck of one animal and traces of blood, that the sea lions were illegally shot while trapped inside floating cages put in place by state officials.

"That seemed at first to be the most likely explanation," said Brian Gorman of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency responsible for marine mammals. "That was the assumption."

Examinations of the carcasses found no gunshot wounds and determined the neck wounds were probably caused by bites from another sea lion.

"We have no hypothesis right now about how these animals died or how the gates came down" to trap them in the two separate cages where they were found dead, Gorman said.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

[bentrod]

Necropsy results show the animals died from heat exhaustion.  Probably way too much blubber from eating all those salmon. 

[Every Day]

Lol good... maybe their buddies will learn from their example. Natures way of showing they don't belong in rivers (and eating the spawners)