🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:05:55 -0700, lein <boomer_the_cat@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>On Jun 26, 2:02 pm, Don Homuth <dhomuthoneatcomcast.net> wrote:
>> On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:38:17 -0700, pjb...@webtv.net (Paul J. Berg)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >.....California Sea Lions that is.
>>
>> >California sea lions have eaten what appears to be a record number of
>> >spring chinook salmon at Bonneville Dam, the U.S. Army Corps of
>> >Engineers reports.
>>
>> Proper animal control means culling that herd.  If the salmon runs
>> were larger, the predation numbers wouldn't be so critical.  But since
>> the run sizes are small, then the predation should be limited.
>>
>> However it can be done.  If the animals can't be hazed away with
>> non-lethal methods, then killing them outright can be justified as a
>> means of protecting the salmon run.
>
>Justified for what reason?

Predation.  If we are to do wildlife management, then controlling the
number of predators and their effect is entirely reasonable.

Remember when folks used to like to control the number of cougars
because they might be killing elk?

'Course, it turned out that the number of cougars had little to do
with the number of elk.  But we still control cougars that are too
adept at predation.

Same thing with other predatory species.

>The Sea Lions were here first

First before what?  The salmon runs?  Probably not.  Sea lions weren't
known to be upstream in the Columbia in sufficient numbers to take one
of 25 salmon during historical times.

>... and in the
>end, if you don't end up with smoked salmon on your plate, too bad.

The smoked salmon on my plate doesn't come from the Columbia Runs.

This is not about keeping the salmon runs for humans.  I'd support a
ban on commercial fishing for salmon as well, for example.  But the
sea lions have started a really bad habit -- and they appear to be
teaching others to indulge in it as well.

We are the ones who emplaced the barriers that slow the fish runs so
that the sea lions have easy pickings below the dam.  If we wish to
keep the salmon runs intact, then it's up to us to find a way to
control the predation and the predators.

Killing the ones who have migrated upstream will stop them from
teaching others to do the same sort of thing.

It's not as though there's a shortage of sea lions, after all.