I can not believe it!

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King 5 noon news reported that the states of Oregon and Washington are now capturing and transporting California Sea Lions from Bonneville Dam. It was reported that the sea lions are being transported to Tacoma! What's up with that?

[kevinb]

Tacoma? What the f...? I don't know why they would do that. Oh wait...the government knows what its doing.

[Toni]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

April 23, 2008

Contact: WDFW - Craig Bartlett, 360-902-2259
(cell) 360-480-1227
ODFW - Rick Hargrave, 503-947-6020
(cell) 503-559-1592

[NEWS ADVISORY: See options for news coverage at the end of this news release.]

Sea lion relocation to begin tomorrow (April 24)

OLYMPIA-The Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife plan to begin relocating a number of California sea lions tomorrow morning from the Columbia River to several zoological facilities across the country.

Any relocated animals will be those identified as preying on federally protected endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in waters immediately below Bonneville Dam. The sea lions are adult males that migrate seasonally from the coast of California to feed on runs of salmon and steelhead returning to the Columbia River. They target fish that congregate below the dam before passing up the dam's fish ladders.

In March, the National Marine Fisheries Service granted Washington, Oregon and Idaho the authority to remove up to 85 identified California sea lions annually in an effort to reduce the animals' impact on protected fish.

The states first priority is relocate as many of the identified California sea lions as possible to federally approved zoos and aquariums. So far, placements have been found for up to 20 sea lions.

The states' plan is to relocate animals was not affected by today's ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that temporarily prohibits using lethal means to deter predation on protected salmon and steelhead by California sea lions. The court is expected to hear arguments on that issue in early May.

The legal challenge was filed by the Humane Society of the United States, the Wild Fish Conservancy and two private citizens.

A team of marine mammal biologists plan to capture marked sea lions in live traps on floating barges near the dam, and transfer them in cages to specially equipped horse trailers for their journey to a temporary quarantine facility, before they are flown to designated zoological facilities.

The trapping operation is expected to continue on various days for several weeks.

The affected sea lions are part of a robust West Coast population that since 2001 has been seasonally feeding on federally protected salmon and steelhead below the dam.

Despite three years of efforts to deter them, sea lions consumed more than 4 percent of the returning spring chinook salmon run last year, in just the area visible to observers on the dam. As of this week, approximately 50 sea lions were observed feeding on salmon and steelhead immediately below the dam. A single California sea lion consumes an average of seven salmon per day.

"Sea lion predation at the base of Bonneville Dam is a new and significant threat to recovery of Columbia River ESA-listed salmon and detracts from efforts to reduce impacts on protected fish from other sectors-including fisheries, habitat modifications, hatchery and dam operations," said Guy Norman, regional director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's southwest regional office. "Hundreds of millions of dollars of salmon-recovery investments could be compromised if sea lion impacts are not managed as well."

MEDIA ADVISORY: Thursday's trapping activities can be observed at a distance from the Washington shore of the Columbia River. Possibly as early as next week, participating agencies plan to give credentialed members of the news media a closer view from a restricted area at Bonneville Dam. To register for any special viewing opportunities next week, members of the news media must contact Rick Hargrave at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife no later than 3 p.m. Friday, April 25 at (503) 947-6020. There will be no exceptions to the requirement for prior registration, and members of the media must present their credentials to participate. To register, please provide the names of any accompanying staff, the name of your news organization and contact phone numbers.

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WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

April 23, 2008

Contact: WDFW - Craig Bartlett, 360-902-2259
(cell) 360-480-1227
ODFW - Rick Hargrave, 503-947-6020
(cell) 503-559-1592

[NEWS ADVISORY: See options for news coverage at the end of this news release.]

Sea lion relocation to begin tomorrow (April 24)

OLYMPIA-The Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife plan to begin relocating a number of California sea lions tomorrow morning from the Columbia River to several zoological facilities across the country.

Any relocated animals will be those identified as preying on federally protected endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in waters immediately below Bonneville Dam. The sea lions are adult males that migrate seasonally from the coast of California to feed on runs of salmon and steelhead returning to the Columbia River. They target fish that congregate below the dam before passing up the dam's fish ladders.

In March, the National Marine Fisheries Service granted Washington, Oregon and Idaho the authority to remove up to 85 identified California sea lions annually in an effort to reduce the animals' impact on protected fish.

The states first priority is relocate as many of the identified California sea lions as possible to federally approved zoos and aquariums. So far, placements have been found for up to 20 sea lions.

The states' plan is to relocate animals was not affected by today's ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that temporarily prohibits using lethal means to deter predation on protected salmon and steelhead by California sea lions. The court is expected to hear arguments on that issue in early May.

The legal challenge was filed by the Humane Society of the United States, the Wild Fish Conservancy and two private citizens.

A team of marine mammal biologists plan to capture marked sea lions in live traps on floating barges near the dam, and transfer them in cages to specially equipped horse trailers for their journey to a temporary quarantine facility, before they are flown to designated zoological facilities.

The trapping operation is expected to continue on various days for several weeks.

The affected sea lions are part of a robust West Coast population that since 2001 has been seasonally feeding on federally protected salmon and steelhead below the dam.

Despite three years of efforts to deter them, sea lions consumed more than 4 percent of the returning spring chinook salmon run last year, in just the area visible to observers on the dam. As of this week, approximately 50 sea lions were observed feeding on salmon and steelhead immediately below the dam. A single California sea lion consumes an average of seven salmon per day.

"Sea lion predation at the base of Bonneville Dam is a new and significant threat to recovery of Columbia River ESA-listed salmon and detracts from efforts to reduce impacts on protected fish from other sectors-including fisheries, habitat modifications, hatchery and dam operations," said Guy Norman, regional director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's southwest regional office. "Hundreds of millions of dollars of salmon-recovery investments could be compromised if sea lion impacts are not managed as well."

MEDIA ADVISORY: Thursday's trapping activities can be observed at a distance from the Washington shore of the Columbia River. Possibly as early as next week, participating agencies plan to give credentialed members of the news media a closer view from a restricted area at Bonneville Dam. To register for any special viewing opportunities next week, members of the news media must contact Rick Hargrave at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife no later than 3 p.m. Friday, April 25 at (503) 947-6020. There will be no exceptions to the requirement for prior registration, and members of the media must present their credentials to participate. To register, please provide the names of any accompanying staff, the name of your news organization and contact phone numbers.

Thanks Toni, I feel my blood pressure starting to go down. If the city of Tacoma aquarium wants sea lions why doesn't it just go down the hill and pluck one from the docks at the marina? Oh well, Maybe someday the bleeding hearts will recognize that man has created the problem and should manage it. There are far to many sea lions - just ask anyone from San Francisco.

[A9]

King 5 noon news reported that the states of Oregon and Washington are now capturing and transporting California Sea Lions from Bonneville Dam. It was reported that the sea lions are being transported to Tacoma! What's up with that?

We were going to kill around 80 of them until some people went to good old liberal San Fran and got a judge to put a hold on that...

[kutthroatkilla]

King 5 noon news reported that the states of Oregon and Washington are now capturing and transporting California Sea Lions from Bonneville Dam. It was reported that the sea lions are being transported to Tacoma! What's up with that?

We were going to kill around 80 of them until some people went to good old liberal San Fran and got a judge to put a hold on that...

You can thank PETA and the Humane Society for that one. Crazy stuff...these lions should all be popped.

[kavykid2k6]

that is why the .223 stays in the boat, we get them in the stilly all the time

[A9]

that is why the .223 stays in the boat, we get them in the stilly all the time

I've heard some guys say they've seen em on the Sky near the Wallace River....IN AUGUST chasing up Pinks...
That thing would have to walk from the mouth of the Sky all the way up to the Wallace in August...

[mallard83]

that is why the .223 stays in the boat, we get them in the stilly all the time

I've heard some guys say they've seen em on the Sky near the Wallace River....IN AUGUST chasing up Pinks...
That thing would have to walk from the mouth of the Sky all the way up to the Wallace in August...

I fish the Sky almost daily during the summer pink run and I have never seen them that far up. The furthest up I have seen them is between 522 and the mouth of the Sky on the Snohomish. I would be astounded if I ever saw them that far (the mouth of the Wallace). I have a feeling that you were being told fish stories. I navigate the lower Sky in August when most other people can't and I doubt with the difficulty of this stretch of river that a sealion would even consider going up unless he was starving, which I can't see a sealion being during a humpy run.

[kutthroatkilla]

I've heard some guys say they've seen em on the Sky near the Wallace River....IN AUGUST chasing up Pinks...
That thing would have to walk from the mouth of the Sky all the way up to the Wallace in August...

That wouldn't surprise me one bit. I've seen them all the way up the Sammamish River gorging on cutthroat trout when I was golfing Wayne's Golf Course this year. They will go to any length for a meal...and them cutties are prime targets in LW and in the slough or Sammamish River...they are wild thangs.

[kavykid2k6]

they follow a food source, if the get on a school of fish they will follow them, i have seen them below the freeway on the stilly and thats about fifteen miles away from the salt. and i have seen them up by the forks in the snohomish. but last year i started arradicating them. we watched two of them in the stilly playin catch with the humpies, just kill them and let them float down the river. so i followed in there praactice

[A9]

that is why the .223 stays in the boat, we get them in the stilly all the time

I've heard some guys say they've seen em on the Sky near the Wallace River....IN AUGUST chasing up Pinks...
That thing would have to walk from the mouth of the Sky all the way up to the Wallace in August...

I fish the Sky almost daily during the summer pink run and I have never seen them that far up. The furthest up I have seen them is between 522 and the mouth of the Sky on the Snohomish. I would be astounded if I ever saw them that far (the mouth of the Wallace). I have a feeling that you were being told fish stories. I navigate the lower Sky in August when most other people can't and I doubt with the difficulty of this stretch of river that a sealion would even consider going up unless he was starving, which I can't see a sealion being during a humpy run.

I've been told it twice by two different guys...Again, I'm just relaying what I've heard, but who knows...I would figure the dang sealion would wade all the way up the Sky in August...But I guess they were up there ACCORDING to what I was told...

[kutthroatkilla]

but last year i started erradicating them. We watched two of them in the Stilly playin catch with the humpies, just kill them and let them float down the river. so i followed in there praactice

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but you shot at them? Are you talking about killing the fish and letting the fish float down the river, or are you shooting/killing the sea lions and they are floating down the river?

That would be a crime on a Federal level. Perhaps you're talking about something else that I'm not understanding. Shooting these creatures is against the law and will get you years in jail.

[cant sleep]

thats crap-ola.. i was just out there a couple weeks. running the bugs out of the boat.. and ran over to point defiance.. its getting to the point the seals are going to out number the birds........ that area used to be a fine area to spend the day.. its gone....... thoughs were the days.... just memories.... now its another childhood fantasy of how things use to be..

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

but last year i started erradicating them. We watched two of them in the Stilly playin catch with the humpies, just kill them and let them float down the river. so i followed in there praactice

ummm...

[A9]

It's rare that I don't see a sea-lion out in the salt now if I'm out there fishing for a while....I see them in the summer on EVERY single bouy, especially the one off Double Bluff and the two on Possession, east and west marker...

I see a ton of porpoises too. Sometimes pods of 20-30 out in Area 9. Those things are sure friendly...They don't mind you and seem to like coming close to boats...

[kutthroatkilla]

I see them in the summer on EVERY single bouy, especially the one off Double Bluff and the two on Possession, east and west marker...

Kinda like these two maybe? I believe they love this bouy. Friend of mine took this shot on his boat after we fished the sunken ferry together and emailed it to me. I have some others and they were stealing some lings off peoples fishing rods as well. This dude was tagged in the far right rear end by fisheries cause you can see some numbering it looks like. My buddy said it was like "HCXXXX" - or something like that. They were everywhere out there. Darn lions.

KTK

[cant sleep]

well i will say one thing? the big males i noticed were smacking the crap out of the dog fish. this was at the passage way from the pt defaince to the narrows.. diving down 140 to 200ft cleaning house on the pesky saw tooths.. it was driving the birds nuts...... but at the same time they would feast whatever was swimming bye... proubly the only thing i havnt seen them throw in to the air was maybe a large skate.. there pigs.. they have pretty much invaded the flats to 250Ft range at pt d to delco... i think its time for a bounty........... how about the state gives a reward.. kinda like that pretator squaw fish..... what is it 3 bucks a fish on the columbia...... i cant see any difference between the two...

[kavykid2k6]

they were lettin the fish float, i have never shot a sea lion but i have shot at them.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

... i have never shot a sea lion but i have shot at them.

ummmm....