Columbia sea lions go upriver; some may not return

Sea lion traps are in place on the Columbia River, and on Monday the states of Oregon and Washington will begin trapping and possibly killing animals that follow the spring chinook salmon run to the base of Bonneville Dam in search of an easy meal.

For some sea lions, it could be their last trip up the river.

"Targeted" California sea lions are those who have been seen eating salmon at the dam. Many of the fish are protected by the Endangered Species Act.

The offending sea lions could be shot or killed by lethal injection. They are identified by brands or by other distinguishing markings.

About 80 are on the government hit list.

Trapped sea lions that aren't listed will be released - after they are marked so as to be identifiable later on if seen chomping salmon.

The priority will be to find zoos or aquariums that will take the targeted animals.

But Brian Gorman, spokesman for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle, said there are only two requests, both from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Last year there were about a dozen.

"It is very likely the states will be putting some of these animals down because they are going to trap more than two," he said.

The salmon gather at the dam waiting to pass through fish ladders en route to upriver spawning grounds.

"Lethal removal" has been an emotional, contentious issue without much middle ground.

On Thursday the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request by the Humane Society of the United States for a stay to a lower court allowing the trapping and possibly killing.

The federal government gave Oregon, Washington and Idaho approval to kill up to 85 California sea lions a year for five years.

Robin Brown, director of the marine mammals program for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said Friday at a briefing at the dam that the large cages used for traps have been updated to prevent sea lions from being trapped in them for hours. Six died of heat-related problems last year when the doors of the cages shut accidentally when the traps were not being monitored.

The uproar was such that the trapping program ended early that year.

Brown said he did not know how the manually controlled doors on the two traps closed accidentally at the same time and called the coincidence "nearly impossible."

This year, he said, the doors "will be operated by remote control and locked open when the trap is not in use. Traps in use will be monitored every hour."

If there are no takers for targeted trapped sea lions they can be killed by lethal injection or, of they are on shore or within 50 feet of shore, shot by marksmen from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

He said any "lethal removal" would be done in private, drawing accusations from activists who showed up with independent journalists' press cards that the government was trying to hide pointless executions from the public.

On Friday, a few California sea lions popped their furry heads up from the swirling greenish waters of the Columbia, fish clamped in their jaws.

The sea lions gave the fish a hard shake to tear off a piece, and seagulls descended to squabble over the remainder.

Most sea lions below the dam now are Steller sea lions, which are endangered or threatened and cannot be harmed. The big rush of California sea lions is expected in a couple of weeks.

The California species is not endangered or threatened.

Both species are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammals Protection Act. But an amendment allows selective killing or trapping of Californians if the states request it. Oregon and Washington, with the support of Idaho, did in 2006.

Gorman said hazing efforts such as pyrotechnics and rubber bullets don't deter the California sea lions. The Stellers, who eat mostly sturgeon, are beginning to ignore them, as well.

"A well-motivated animal can put up with almost everything," Gorman said. "You can hit them on the head with a hammer at first, but as time goes by, they say, `Well ... ' "

The Humane Society contends the sea lions have a minor effect on the salmon population compared to dams, fishermen and bird predation and other causes, and have argued that the trapping is not to protect the fish themselves but to preserve them for humans to eat.

Observed sea lion predation of salmon is put at about 4.2 percent, but those favoring trapping say the real take likely is higher.

Opponents of the program contend the percentage the sea lions get should not qualify as a significant negative impact, so long as larger percentages taken by dams, birds and fishermen don't qualify.