Sea lions, seals and gillnetters

[Stratocaster]

Does anyone know the laws pertaining to the shooting of seals and sea lions by netters?
Yesterday the netters were blasting away. Even shooting at them while tied to a jetty without their nets out. BTW, i got a 15 to 17# nate while the nets were all around. :grin: The netter above me got only one on his first drift, only to be stolen by a seal.

[MillerTime]

Last time I checked the Seals and sea lions were protected under the marine mammal protection act. I am not aware of any clause in there that would allow the gillnetters rights to shoot them. I do know that the seals/sea lions are becoming a major issue because they are practically climbing into boats in some areas to get fish.
"Amendments enacted in 1981 (P.L. 97-58) established conditions for permits to be granted to take marine mammals "incidentally" in the course of commercial fishing. In addition, the amendments provided additional conditions and procedures for transferring management authority to the States, and authorized appropriations through FY 1984."
So that would be bycatch from trawling, not shooting them for taking fish from the nets. This might be of interest to you as well then...
"a reward system under which the Secretary of the Treasury can pay up to $2500 to individuals providing information leading to convictions for violations of the Act. "
Congrats on the catch though.

[Full Freezer]

I think it's time we PAY the commercials to fish for sealions! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]
The could set their drifts with heavy nets & market the darn things. I would eat many many sealion steaks! :tongue:

Ketchup makes everything taste good.

[Silver Hilton]

It won't bother me a bit if these guys teach the seals to keep their distance from boats. While I accept and agree with the principles of the marine mammals act, the sealion population appears to be quite healthy, and the animals a bit too acclimatized to humans for my taste.

I wonder if the netters are possibly using rubber bullets or birdshot?

[Time Off]

I heard many shots fired yesterday when I was out too. I thought it must be someone on shore but it could have very well been a netter. What I heard was a high powered rifle I doubt the bullets were rubber or birdshot.

I couldn't believe how many seals were working the area. I don't think it is legal but I can understand their frustration.

[Rakkasan]

I doubt they were actual rounds. Some people used a blank round up in Alaska in a 12 guage to scare them off. They did not work to well but that is probably what they are. Very possible.

[Stratocaster]

I talked to a netter who asked if id move lower (he asked nicely and i was going to move anyways) He mentioned alot of mammals around and stated something about 3.5 inchers, 12 guage shells im sure. We watched one guy peel out his net, than untied it and patrolled his net. Judging by the recoil those were not blanks, but could very well be rubber buckshot or bullets? I was just curious if anyone knew exactly what they use and the laws.

[Rakkasan]

This link pretty much spells it out. Big OOOOOPPPPSSSS for those two guys.


http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/Oct...3_enrd_597.htm

[Silver Hilton]

But that was for sportfishermen. The commercials may have some right to protect their catch and gear. Don't know myself either way.

[Rakkasan]

I think if you put common sense on the table discharging a firearm on a populated river would not go over well with local, state, or federal enforcement. I do know that our sea lions are protected from harassment. If you cannot shoot them in Alaska I would not think you could shoot at them in Oregon rivers.

[Duckboy23]

The gillnetter I talked to yesterday just west of Longview said he was shooting 3.5" buckshot at them. He probably shot 10 times while I was there. Wouldn't want to be that guy when he gets caught!!

[Quasimodo the fish killer]

this is blatant disregarde for the laws. i know sealions and seals are a pain in the rear but ythe law is the law I obey them even if i think they are lame and if I seen a situation like tht coming from gill netters no less you can bet the cell phone would be in use.

it apears that the gill netters up there do not care and put the fact that they dont care in the face of everyone, the public the fisherie observors. this is just as wrong as them killing wild fish on purpose. I would ask if any of you seeing ANYONE BEHAVE LIKE THIS TO CALL THE PROPER AUTHORITIES!. I am not a seal lover by any means but I obey the laws and if I have to obey them then I am not going to sit idle and watch others break them.

the columbia river gill net fisherie is a very touchy area but if the gill netters will blatantly disregard the marine mamal protection act and refuse to let observers on their boats then they are as much of an outlaw as a snagger or poacher.

Quasi

.

[Mr. BrownTrout]

I do believe that the gillnetters can shoot sea lions, but only to protect their gear. If a big sea lion gets tangled in a net they can do alot of damage to a net.

[Riverliver]

Mr. BrownTrout: I do believe that the gillnetters can shoot sea lions, but only to protect their gear. If a big sea lion gets tangled in a net they can do alot of damage to a net.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I'd say that be the price of doing business. If in fact it's the LAW ? If it is the Law rather it's right or wrong it's the still the LAW. Just my 2 cents

[Mr. BrownTrout]

So my question is, when you finally get rid of the gillnetters on the Columbia river what are you going to fish for??? Because clearly if there are no gillnetters out there then there is no reason to be releasing hatchery fish in the terminal fisheries like youngs bay, tongue point, knappa slough and one or two over on the Washington side. So the states can save millions of dollars by no longer raising salmon for the gillnetters. So in effect the sports fishermen would be losing out on a good number of fish to catch in the lower river, bouy 10, the ocean. This is just my 2 cents.

[SalmonSeason]

It's not legal and I doubt they were actually shooting anything lethal at least that blatant
It does happen

The state has always issued what they call "seal bombs" they are a waterproof firecracker and they can be fairly loud

Not sure what you witnessed but there are other types of devices that can be launched from a 12 guage shotgun...they are commonly used to scare/haze geese

Glad to hear some people will obey the law, just because it's the law. I for one agree, but I would vote just as hard to remove seals and sea lions as I do on the gillnetters. No reason for those critters to be up around Portland, up the Clackamas and such....

[AuntyM]

when you finally get rid of the gillnetters on the Columbia river what are you going to fish for???

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">The same thing the tribes fish for. :grin: The feds will still have to provide the fishery as mitigation for the dams. If you think hatchery production will STOP because gillnetters are gone, you'd be mistaken. Columbia gillnetters are only a small percentage of the users now, and they will continue to dwindle as long as the negative impacts they have on fisheries are so great. The tribes have more clout than any other user group and they will fight to keep those fish coming.

But hey.... gillnetters will plant any thought they think will keep them in business.

[Mr. BrownTrout]

I am fairly certain it is legal for the gillnetters to shoot a sea lion that has tangled in their nets. The sea bomb thing is pretty much old news, it was not very affective.

So you think that when the gillnetters are gone that the terminal fisheries like youngs bay, tongue point, blind slough will keep going. NOT
They would end them in a heart beat. These fisheries were created for the gillnetters to help offset the lose of fishing time on the main Columbia river, so in turn the sports fisherman benifited also with more fish in the system. Like right now the sports fishermen are catching lots of springers in the lower river because of a terminal fisherie.

[gottafish]

poor seals, there just trying to survive, the salmon are theres in the fist place look at it this way. if you were hungry and every time you went to safeway someone shot at you how would you feel? on a side note I here seal flesh is tasty!! I think the real issue is more like wasted game. if they had a season with limmited tags for seals the population could be controled and the animal could be utilized. shooting any animal and not useing the hide,meat or other parts is just wrong. I think the federal goverment knows there needs to be controls on there poulation but they are afraid of the public outcry from the bunny huggers. inturnthe salmon stocks will dwindal and nothing will be done. HSUS, PETA, FRIEDS FOR ANIMALS. Want all the animals left alone. well lets see here, how many salmon due you think would be killed by sea lions if the dams were removed, how many salmon would be killed if they were not held up by trying to avoid gill nets? we all play apart. I just wish fish and wildlife had some balls. nut the fact is many of the bunny huggers work for fish and wildlife.

[STGRule]

nut the fact is many of the bunny huggers work for fish and wildlife.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Perhaps you forgot that the name of the Department is Fish AND Wildlife. Not the Department of Fish-so-people-have-something-to-do in-their-spare-time. And we are charged with protecting and managing ALL the little creatures. Not just the ones that happen to be your immediate desire. If that puts me in your little box of "bunny hugger", then I am a proud member of the Oregon Department of Bunny-huggers.

[Stz ll]

I watched a guy receive a $5,000.00 ticket last year because he was throwing lead at a sea lion who was trying to steal his catch. If this guy gets a fine like this for throwing lead then the gillnetters perhaps should lose their boats for shooting at them.

Maybe this is a way to get rid of the gilnetters.

[OregonSportsman]

Yeah we need to get rid of the gillnetters, but they can go ahead and be the ones to reduce the seal and sea lion population. I just want to know what exactly would happen if they got caught. They would lose everything, oh well get em' off the river....

[gottafish]

STGRule, All I am saying is that it seams to be the way of the department, maybe not you. Example. I am a master hunter. I apply for a damage hunt near sea side That was only open to master hunters, When I get to the only acsses to the area I am meet by a coastal fish and game officer who turns me away and claims their is some nesting hawk in the area and he would not let anyone in I called the portland office and they said they would look into it, we were never alowed to hunt and were not given other tags. Why is that!!!! so dont get ****y with me. I am just stating that the FEDeral department needs to manage seals!!!! but they won't because of the public. When I lived in washington this happed at the locks they issued an emergancy order to shoot a certain number of seals. So on the day it was going to take place the bunny huggers showed up in force and not one seal was harmed ? so why is That? I am all for managment that is sound and does not cave to pressuer from eather side but it does,

[fish-bones]

I hope that they have a right to protect their nets and catch.I,d like to see them shoot all the seals and sealions.We don,t need them in the river.Let them stay in the ocean where they belong.Thats there environment,not in the rivers.
FISH-BONES

[PRINCEMASTER]

It is funny how they love so much to protect the seals and sea lions around here. There is a solution,the orcas that now patrol the washington coast will start moving this way when they realize the abundance of food that is here. Then what are all these tree huggers as I call them gonna do when Jimmy gets swept away by a 2 ton orca cause he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.....FOOD FOR THOUGHT

[Mr. BrownTrout]

If it were truely known the damage that the sea lions actually do???? But with the given numbers provided by the National Marine Fisheries, 3,000 to 6,000 sea lions & seals in the Columbia river and if each marine mammal only were to kill 2 salmon or steelhead a day. Thats a whole lot worse then what the gillnetters do. Of course I am sure some people will disagree with the numbers. But still day in and day out those lovely marine mammals are out there and there is not a darn thing that can be done about it.

[Abalone]

Seals spotted !



[ 03-17-2004, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Abalone ]

[Boedy]

Did the guy say if he was using steel or lead shot?

[B-run]

You folks crack me up

[Born to be Wild]

Pretty funny Abalone!
:grin:
Dano