This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on August 22, 2012.
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Should conservationists stop the California sea lions from eating threatened Columbia River salmon?
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on August 22, 2012.
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5 Comments
Add CommentIf the problem is that the lions eat the salmon waiting to climb the ladder, wouldn't it be possible to create a refuge behind a fence that is passable by the fish but not by the lions? There's a big difference in sizes, and it seems possible to install such a fence near the entry to the ladder to give the fish the possibility to evade their predators while waiting.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust one more reason to totally do away with all government employees and start all over again. Federal agencies are a freight train that can't stop because it has no driver and no brakes. the only way to protect any of our wildlife is to have smart normal people do it. They would just do what needs to be done. We can't protect one species and manage all the others. It can't work. Billions of dollars are wasted on salmon if they let these sea lions come eat em all at a man made barrier. NOAA. You are a bunch of overeducated / stupid ?lazy / computer addicted morons. Get to work. Do something other than email and go to meetings
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe sea lions are not the problem. In reality the sea lion are only eating between 1% and 4% where as the fisherman are killing 14%-16% and the dam is killing around 14%. In addition, there is an aggressive species of fish that was introduced into the river that is eating the salmon roe. The sea lions are not the problem but rather the scapegoat.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow more I know humans, more I like Animals
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFisherman in Oregon/Washington are required by law to only harvest hatchery raised adipose fin clipped salmon. Only native Americans are allowed to harvest wild Chinook salmon according to treaties made with the government back in 1855. The 14%-16% of fish harvested your stating
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisis inaccurate due to most of those fish being hatchery born and not wild. I do however agree that the dams are the biggest problem that wild Chinook face.