The news is reporting that wildlife officials have euthanized a 6th sea-lion in an effort to help protect endangered salmon at the base of Bonneville dam. Personally, I have no issues with the fact that they put the sea lion down to protect endangered fish, but I do have an issue with the method.
It is presumed that sea-lions have historically hunted salmon in the Columbia river for as long as the fish have been swimming upstream to spawn. The difference is that when a sea-lion head popped up out of the water at the former Celilo falls, there was a Native American there waiting to spear it. I can’t say for certain that sea-lions would taste good, but I’m betting that their skin and fur made good clothing. In other words, they had natural predators that they had to avoid. If they failed, they would be dead. Plain and simple. There was no opportunity to lounge on a dock for days on end without risk. Sea-lions, being highly intelligent animals learned to avoid man therefore also learned to avoid place like Celilo Falls, where Native Americans fisherman congregated while fishing for the salmon that they relied on to survive.
So, my thinking is that the wildlife officials are going about this all wrong (with the best intentions). In an effort to be as humane as possible, they are condemning more animals to death than is necessary. As smart as sea-lions are, I think that the best way to discourage them from congregating at the dam is to simply shoot the worst offenders right there in the water as they come up with a salmon at the foot of the fish ladder. The other sea-lions will see their dead counterparts floating downstream in a cloud of blood and they will quickly learn that the dam is not a safe place to hang out.
Perhaps there are tribes out there who are interested in restoring their sea-lion hunting tradition? Think of the benefits…