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.
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.
I am very concerned and saddened to hear of the death of another native predator from our River.
Another thing that saddens me is the lack of public concern for these animals who are being scapegoated. Every death could have been avoided. Every sea lion who is killed should inspire the same outrage from not only the sea lion defenders but the general public at large. These killings have become “business as usual” not only for the government agents doing the killing but for the sea lion defenders as well. Just look at the sea lion defenders response to the first sea lion killed at Bonneville dam this year, there was protest at the dam and media coverage. Now Freddy has died this week and no protest at the dam and no media coverage at all.
The government will see this lack of response by the sea lion defenders as “giving up” or “weakness”. Every death must be met with a growing concern the public and the government can see – larger protests at the dam every time a sea lion is killed will show outrage, that the public will no longer tolerate the death on the river. Fewer or no protesters arriving at the dam each time another scapegoated sea lion is killed will show the government that they are winning in the war against nature. Please don’t let these killings become “business as usual”.
feel free to meet this with whatever level of protest you choose, betty.