Sea Lion Defender and NW IDA director Matt Rossell will be talking to Jane Velez-Mitchell tomorrow regarding what is happening to sea lions in the Pacific NW. In the wake of two more killings (which occurred at Bonneville Dam 5 days AFTER the Army Corps of Engineers stated in a public document that the traps had been removed and stored, and trapping had ended at the dam for the year), the media is finally picking up on the story of the war against nature taking place on the Columbia. Pending breaking news developments, the segment should air on “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell” on Friday 7 to 8 pm Eastern time (likely earlier our time – check listings) on Headline News Channel HLN.

On May 18th, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave the departments of fish and wildlife in the States of Oregon and Washington permission to add six more sea lions to the list of animals whom they are allowed to kill for the crime of eating fish. These animals are, according to the latest Letter of Authority from NOAA to the States:

C667 – Observed in the tailrace of the dam on 7 days in 2010 with 10 documented salmonids
consumed.
C841 – Observed in the tailrace of the dam on 5 days in 2010 with 3 documented salmonids
consumed.
B317 – Observed in the tailrace of the dam on 6 days in 2010 with 18 documented salmonids
consumed.
B318 – Observed in the tailrace of the dam on 5 days in 2010 with 23 documented salmonids
consumed.
B325 – Observed in the tailrace of the dam on 7 days in 2010 with 2 documented
salmonids consumed.
5490 – Observed in the tailrace of the dam on 8 days in 2010 with 4 documented salmonids
consumed.
(more…)

Yesterday was Sea Wolf One’s last day overlooking the traps on the Columbia River. The mobile monitoring vehicle has been in the field documenting and intervening against the government’s program to trap and kill sea lions for exactly two months. The sea lions have already begun their natural migration back to the mouth of the Columbia where they will head south down the coast from there.

Has the Sea Lion Defense Brigade been successful?
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The state has been granted the authority, by NOAA, to add nine more sea lions to the list of those who may now be killed.
According to the latest Letter of Authority (LOA) issued by NOAA, these are the animals they may now kill, along with their alleged offenses:
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Yesterday ODFW killed Freddy, a sea lion who was given his name by a 5th grader of Trillium school. He was seen eating six fish at the dam, a crime for which he has been killed for.

This letter was sent to the author of a particularly misleading news article that appeared in the Seattle Times. (See link.) The letter was also cc’d to us. It is so well informed that we are posting it here in the hope that it may help to educate other journalists who may be interested in getting the facts before publishing an article about this issue.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011585750_sealions12m.html

Hey I read your article in the Seattle Times re sea lions. I think you
really need to get a more balanced perspective. Maybe you should interview
someone from the sea lion defense group, or In Defense of Animals, or a
real biologist. Try Sharon Young, for example. Because you’ve really
perpetuated a lot of screamingly biased misinformation here. Was that
intentional? Or did you just not realize that referring to sea lions (as
opposed to fishermen) as “infamously gluttonous,” “gorging themselves on
salmon” is incredibly opinionated?

You also repeat the fisherman’s mantra: “Sea lions are cuter than salmon.”
By implication, those who oppose the trapping and killing of sea lions
must just be overly emotional and irrational, guided only by the
“cuteness” of the sea lions.

On the contrary, there may be a lot of hysteria out there, but it’s living
in the bile of the people who want the sea lions dead. (more…)