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| NOAA |
Sea lions eat less than 4 percent of salmon at
Bonneville Dam. |
On the border between Oregon and Washington, the Columbia River thunders over the Bonneville Dam.
During spawning season, thousands of salmon and other fish swim upriver through a series of fish ladders.
Flocks of tourists come to witness their journey, and humans aren't the only visitors. Sea lions swim in the river and do what comes naturally to them: eating fish.
Unnatural Order
Salmon populations have been struggling for decades. Many factors affect their survival, including human fishing, deforestation along spawning streams and obstacles such as dams. Sea lion populations also fell in response to hunting before the Marine Mammal Protection Act came into effect in 1972.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the Bonneville Dam, estimated in 2005 that sea lions ate less than 4 percent of passing salmon – fewer than taken by other causes, including fishing. Yet the National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed killing up to 85 sea lions in the name of protecting fish. That's 85 of about 1,000 estimated in the river.
Misguided Solution
Killing sea lions will not save the salmon population. A recent federal impact analysis found that low survival rates of juveniles and poor hatchery practices are the largest threats to the fish. Besides, the government itself has acknowledged that any sea lions slain in this misguided program are likely to be replaced by other sea lions.
The stunning wildlife of the Pacific Northwest deserves protection, but choosing between salmon and sea lions is not the answer. Both animals have struggled to maintain a place in a landscape altered by humans. A thriving river needs a greater variety of creatures sharing its waters, not less.
