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Slate has a fascinating article today on the struggle to protect dwindling numbers of salmon in Oregon.
For years, conservationists and fishermen have suspected that the sudden disappearance of large numbers of Chinook salmon was attributable to sea lions traveling up the Columbia River to find and eat the endangered species. At one point, it was suggested that the sea lions be killed or relocated to avoid further destruction of the Chinook population. This idea never took hold, but now it looks like some are taking matters into their own hands as several sea lions have turned up dead in recent months.
To read the full article, go HERE.
Blaming sea lions for the salmon crisis is roughly akin to blaming Native Americans for urban sprawl: It's ridiculous. Sea lions have ALWAYS been on the river, co-existing with salmon in a predator-prey relationship which benefitted both species for more than ten thousand years. Before we came to this region and hunted sea lions and fished the rivers empty, there were more sea lions than there are now, and there were nearly 20 million salmon. After ten thousand years with sea lions, TWENTY MILLION salmon. And after only a century of settlers in this region, now there are fewer than 1% of wild salmon left. Don't blame the sea lions for that. Blame greedy fishermen and voracious dams.
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