Can’t we trap-neuter-release those sea lions?
January 18th, 2008
Instead of killing 30 of them, can’t we do as feral cat mongers do and trap-neuter-release the sea lions that are killing salmon at Bonneville dam?
No we can’t.
There is no historical evidence that California sea lions ever came up this far. Mankind, by eliminating its predators and indirectly reducing populations of competing species of sea mammals, has prodded California sea lions to radically expand their range. Then, to make it worse, we build huge dams that cause salmon to pool in one spot — an inviting buffet to sea lions.
Now we are in a situation where this species is decimating endangered salmon runs.
Anglers and biologists have grown increasingly frustrated with sea lions that swim up the Columbia to Bonneville Dam, where they feast on salmon gathering to climb fish ladders upriver. Last year, monitoring crews counted sea lions eating more than 4 percent of the salmon run, although biologists suspect they probably ate more.
Close to a third of the salmon eaten by the sea lions were from stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act, the fisheries service said. That’s undercutting fish runs battered by dams across their migration routes and by deteriorating habitat.
The sea lions must be euthanized. As must all invasive species destroying native populations of endangered animals.
Related posts: "Animal rights" versus biodiversity, Feral cats = huge environmental problem!, Outdoor and feral cats leading to Californian sea otter deaths
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