Pinniped Bill (intro)

[FinFansea]

After reading post after post about these pesky creatures, seems the majority of you would like to see something done about them. Well please speak up and back this Bill.

This just in,

Several conservation groups, led by (name left out intentionally), are putting a blitz on against Senate Bill 708, which calls for a control of harbor seal populations and their predation of salmon and steelhead in bays. They claim the whole problem of fish decline is dams and water allocation. We can't argue that isn't a problem, but it isn't the only one. IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT OREGON SPEAKS UP ABOUT THE POPULATION EXPLOSION OF PINNIPEDS!

We all know that the state doesn't have control over the Marine Mammal Protection Act. But we need to put the feds on notice that there is a problem, and if it were under the Endangered Species Act, they would have long ago been de-listed.

The “greenie" groups state seals don't eat that many salmon, because they find few bones in seal and sea lion scat. But those of us who have observed those seals biting the stomachs out of a salmon, then tossing it aside and going after another, know the obvious answer. There aren't any bones in a salmon's stomach!

Please write, email, or phone your area legislators, and tell them it is time to speak loudly about this problem.

Here is a link to the into of the Bill

708 intro

[cfinlip]

Thanx so much, I just read the bill, what's the most direct e-mail add. we should use? This is a chance to send photos/eyewitness accounts and opinions. I did notice that they only mentioned Harbor seals, what about the big boys? the y can do some damage.

[FinFansea]

Let me ask my source if he has any contact numbers or email addresses. If it's allowed, I will post them.

[BottomFeeder]

I recommend kinetic therapy.



-Bottomfeeder

[Tuna Ball]

Sounds like a start. I'm surprized they specify harbor seals only. I think the lions do more damage. If you come up with some contacts let us know. Maybe it's time to start a Great White Shark hatchery. Might be tough to get the surfers on board though. TB

[Ethical hunter]

Greetings all, I have been a fan of ifish for a while now and never registered because I did'nt really feel that I had much to contribute. I have been keeping a close look at the threads that involve pinniped predation and this particular one inspired me to join at long last.

Most sports fisherman I have spoken with have told me stories about seals and sea lions only eating the bellies of salmon. I have seen many salmon eaten by sea lions during my days on the water but, I have never seen this "just eating the belly" behavior and disgaurding the remainder of the fish just to move on to another salmon belly. I would like to hear some of your stories on this just eating the bellies subject.

thanks

[FrogPond]

I saw a seal take a bite of a Chinook being brought to the boat down on the Umpqua. The bite was centered on the pectoral fins. It killed the fish instantly by removing the heart. The eggs were mostly intact and the fish was bled out on the way to the boat. Luckily the seal did not come back for a second course.

This was witnessed by Northriver1, bobber boy, and a co-worker of Northriver1.


I have also lost a fish to a seal/sealion that took the only fish I hooked that day. I am sure this is not a rare incident.

[cfinlip]

Belly-meat is soft, they know that. They have sharp teeth that puncture but don't slice. Bigger food is brought to the surface and shaken, they then swallow a chunk. There is more leverage at the surface to sling a fish around, they know that. When fish are numerous they grab and go so to speak, getting that good oil-rich meat ( protein rich eggs too}.
They are highly efficient predators and I don't think they like bones and hard cartilage. They also won't expend any more energy than they have to. They see a salmon on the line its the odds in his favor of running that fish down. They are a drag...

[steelheadslayer]

I'm also wondering why they specify harbor seals. In all of my prior observations of fish devouring, every one has been eaten by a sealion. I haven't yet heard or seen of a harbor seal taking a fish from a fisherman. If there are any different observations than mine, by all means, let us know. I just haven't heard of seals being a big problem.

[cfinlip]

Ditto on that. From what Iv'e read so far harbor seals are more numerous down south. Maybe they eat bait/smolt sized fish I truely don't know. Along the OR coast and the Columbia too I read that California sea-lions are more numerous than others of the same species. But we know that! Roughly 200,000 of these critters along the west coast, and the info is somewhat out dated....

[duckboy]

the reference to " Harbor seals" may be wrong, they may be referring to the seals that inhabit one particular harbor, which might be any one of the various species of seals.

[cfinlip]

Your reference to harbor seals does exist, a species of seal by that name also is out there. Seals have a small hole for an ear and sea-lions have a small ear-flap. The back flippers on a sea-lion can rotate forward so it kinda humps its way along. seals cannot rotate this way and sorta flop, roll. inch along on their sides. Those big boys are Cal. sea-lions

[SMACKDOWN]

Seals will also take your salmon, and they swim real fast when they are on the end of your line.

[Gun Rod Bow]

I thought this thread was about Bill Monroe

[FinFansea]

I received this late yesterday.

The bill as written only includes harbor seals because the legislator, Senator Kruse from Roseburg heard that they were the problem. I called his office this afternoon, and he was out, and will not be in on Friday. I will see him regarding another marine bill he sponsored that I'm testifying on Monday afternoon. You can call his office Monday morning at 503-986-1701.

[steelheadslayer]

Thanks Fin, I can now see how a legislator from quite a distance from the Columbia might not know of the stellar sealion issue we have up here.

[Fishing Maniac]

I think this is a step in the right direction but there are a couple of issues I have with this bill. First, they only mention harbor seals. It's the sealions that are doing most of the damage. Also, the bill indicates control and reduction through non lethal methods. I have not heard of any success with non lethal control of these predators. Remember Hershel at he Ballard Locks? They've shipped sealions to California only to have them show up in the Columbia again in 1 to 2 days. It's the same sealions doing this year after year with a few new ones. The state could easily take out these repeat offenders with minimal impact on their numbers. Does anyone have the background on this bill and what the strategy is in the wording ect. Just wondering if they are soft serving this to get it to pass.

[cfinlip]

From info that I have found, (again out-dated but there) the Cal. sea-lion is having an effect on the Stellar populations. Does competition for food do this? Which species are they in the Columbia? (predominant) I just have this feeling....

[Pete]

I posted these links in another thread, but they provide a very good background on the status of pinnipeds on the west coast, on changes in their population and their impacts on salmonids.

For those that are interested in the research into pinniped issues and the solutions proposed, here are some interesting readings:

TESTIMONY OF JAMES LECKY SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS - U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - AUGUST 19, 2003 summarizes the status of research and management measures.

Impacts of California Sea Lions and Pacific Harbor Seals on Salmonids and on the Coastal Ecosystems of Washington, Oregon, and California - a great report on research and management efforts, though it's a bit dated as it was published in 1997. This is well worth reading!

DISCUSSION OF MITIGATION MEASURES FOR PINNIPED CONFLICTS


Some of the more interesting tidbits,

The large numbers of both harbor seals and California sea lions in the mouth of the Columbia River from late fall to early spring raises concerns for impacts on adult winter steelhead and spring chinook migrating upriver, as well as on juvenile salmonids from all stocks migrating downstream from March to June. California sea lions have been observed consuming adult salmonids far upriver near the fish ladder system at Willamette Falls since 1990. Steelhead and spring chinook passing through the Willamette fishway are depressed stocks and especially vulnerable to predation at this site. Harbor seal numbers in the Lower Columbia River begin increasing during the fall chinook migration upstream, raising concerns for impacts of pinniped predation on these populations also.

as of 1997! ... I wonder what it would show now

The seal control technique used by the Fish Commission of Oregon from 1959 to 1970 involved working downstream in the Columbia River from a boat, shooting at every seal encountered. According to the seal hunter and many gillnetters, the seals became conditioned to the sound of his boat and would flee downstream (NMFS and WDW 1989). Beach et al. (1985) concluded that if this reaction could be replicated, the scaring of seals could prove to be more important for reducing fisheries interactions than killing the seals.

The Working Group estimated total biomass consumption along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California (minimum of about 217,400 tons)note that this includes whiting, euchalon, and anchovy and found that it amounted to almost half of what is harvested in commercial fisheries.

[Ethical hunter]

Harbor seals? We dont need no stinking Harbor seals! :smile: :smile:

[Ethical hunter]

From info that I have found, (again out-dated but there) the Cal. sea-lion is having an effect on the Stellar populations. Does competition for food do this? Which species are they in the Columbia? (predominant) I just have this feeling....

Steller sea lions are dominant over california sea lions, they are much larger and steal prey from the smaller californias when given a chance. A good place to see this for yourself is at the mouth of the Rogue river however, the Stellers are dominate over the entire range where the two species intermix.

Most, 99%, of the sea lions in the Columbia are californias. There have been Stellers sighted below Bonniville on a few occasions.

HB