Congress approves bill allowing the killing of sea lions... to protect salmon

[Satanica]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...wing-killing-sea-lions-protect-salmon-n947126

[....]
Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that a bill approved by the House Tuesday changes the Marine Mammal Protection Act to lift some of the restrictions on killing sea lions to protect salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries. The measure had previously passed the Senate.

Wildlife managers say sea lion populations have grown so large that they no longer need all the protections that were put in place for them in 1972.

The measure would usher in a more streamlined process for Washington, Idaho, Oregon and several Pacific Northwest tribes to capture and euthanize sea lions. Sea lions deemed to be a problem are captured and euthanized.

Supporters, including the governors of Oregon, Washington and Idaho, fishing groups and tribes, have said the bill will give wildlife managers greater flexibility in controlling California sea lions that dramatically increased from about 30,000 in the 1960s to about 300,000 following enactment of the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Jaime Pinkham, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, said in a statement that he was "grateful Congress worked in a bipartisan manner to give us the local flexibility to protect the tribal treaty resources we share with others in the Columbia and Willamette rivers."

 

[Sejanus]

Exactly why is Idaho getting a say in any of this. Last time I checked at state is pretty much landlocked and I don't really think it's got much of a sea lion infestation does it? Last I knew that state mostly had steers and queers as the old saying goes

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

Exactly why is Idaho getting a say in any of this.

Because salmon spawn in Idaho. Less salmon are making it upstream to spawn, so Idaho is interested too.

 

[Sudonim]

Ultimately it isn't animals hurting salmon populations. Its the fishermen.

The place Im from in BC is filled with protected streams and rivers because its one of the main breeding grounds for sockeye and chinook salmon on the west coast. Almost every single city and town in the area has a hatchery, right down to the small villages. Salmon thrive in Canadian waters despite us having these very same sea lions and seals. All that conservation goes to waste because while we have strict rules for anything salmon related including fishing..the US does not. US fish boats camp the line just waiting for the salmon to swim out of Canadian waters and theres not a damn thing Canada can do but watch the numbers plummet. Alaskan fishermen alone are almost solely responsible for the decimation of the chinook, despite there being a salmon treaty in place between Canada and the States.