Once again, the State of Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has lied to the public regarding the killing of Columbia river sea lions. On May 19th of this year, they claimed in a public statement that the trapping and killing had ended for the year. Sea Lion Defense Brigadiers sought and received a personal assurance from ODFW spokesman Rick Hargrave that this statement meant that there would be no more killing of sea lions by ODFW anywhere on the Columbia in 2009. Mr. Hargrave stated that “trapping and marking” in Astoria would continue but, when pressed several times for a clear response, finally stated that no, no more animals would be “euthanized” by ODFW this year. However, on August 24th, they trapped a sea lion on the Oregon coast, in Astoria, more than a hundred miles from Bonneville dam. And they killed him. They claimed he “met the criteria for removal,” meaning that he had been “observed eating at least one fish.”
The state failed to notify the public of this killing in a timely manner.
At a time when thousands of sea lions are starving to death from Chile to Canada, when the public is struggling to save them, and while NOAA is apparently trying to figure out why they are dying, the ODFW has resumed killing those sea lions who venture into Oregon waters. The irony is compounded when one appreciates that the reason so many sea lions are starving to death is very likely over-fishing. (For more information on the connection between over-fishing and starving sea lions, see below.) And so, to protect the interests of people who want to fish until there are no fish left in the oceans, the ODFW is killing sea lions to make more room for the fishermen.
Monitors are urgently needed to observe the Astoria traps, and to hand out fliers and educate the public about what is happening to these sea lions. If you care about this ecosystem and the animals who share it with us, we need your creativity, your energy, and your passion. We had anticipated that the killing would not commence again until the spring, given that the State claimed the killing was over for 2009. Now, we have been reminded yet again that we cannot trust anything that the ODFW says, and that we must get back out to the water to save these sea lions. We cannot wait until the spring. Please contact the Sea Lion Defense Brigade to find out how you can help. You can reach us by emailing info@sealiondefensebrigade.org, or you can also reach us through our friends at NW In Defense of Animals by calling (503)249-9996.
How horrible. Killing sea lions for just trying to live. The Fish and Wildlife agencies should be protecting them.
There is a youtube video of the Chile Sea Lions that are dead and dying. I noticed CNN covered the story and many new stations in Chile covered. However I don’t see US based CNN or much news coverage in the media about the hundreds of dying sea lions in California.
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2egLAIdVu8
WTF? What the @#$!@$ are they supposed to eat? They’re killing them for eating fish???? Good lord, the world has gone fucking mad.
Do you see anyone out there killing the fishermen for catching the fish? So why should the sea lions, who by nature are SUPPOSE to eat fish, be killed for trying to survive? The US Army Corps of Engineers, who are apparently responsible for “saving hundreds of endangered species” are in support of killing of the sea lions. But what if by doing this they create an endangered species out of the sea lions? It wouldn’t surprise me if eventually they spend our freaking tax money to save those very sea lions they’re trying to kill right now.
You people are pathetic. The sea lions should not be in the columbia river. True, they follow the food, but why not have concern for the fish they eat. Maybe the sturgeon aren’t cute enough. We should have open season to kill as many of these “rats” as possible, just big vermin that are upsetting the normal balance of the river. Frankly, I would be fine with a targeted chemical or biological attack on the sea lions. Whatever it takes. Maybe I will make a nice sea lion skin coat……
[Ed note: While I'm sure you would be "fine" with a chemical or biological attack on everyone else on the river, we call that mental illness and we don't normally allow that sort of thing to dictate public policy. At least, we shouldn't. (Corporate culture of the ODFW notwithstanding.) The truth is, the sea lions are part of the normal balance of the river. If you would take your nets out of the water and let the fish recover, you would see that. You could even take the time off to do a little research into the history of this region, where you would learn that sea lions have ALWAYS been on the Columbia, and have never injured the populations of either sturgeon or salmon. It is your own predation, and the dams, that are driving these fish to extinction. Simple science, my friend. You can ramble if you like, but you can't argue with the science. It's clear. You need to stop fishing, or the fish will go extinct. But maybe the fish aren't cute enough for you to care.]