NOAA, ODFW Discuss Sea Lion Management In Oregon City

OREGON CITY, OR — California sea lions are reportedly threatening endangered salmon and steelhead at Willamette Falls in Oregon City. In response, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife submit an application Oct. 6 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that seeks to remove the sea lions by killing them, if necessary — though putting them into an aquarium or zoo is also an option.

Essentially, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is mulling plans to implement a program similar to what's been done on the Columbia River at Bonneville Dam since 2008: trap and remove the sea lions primarily responsible for feeding on the endangered fish. Last year, NOAA Fisheries reportedly authorized Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to continue this program until 2021. But in order to authorize the same program along the Willamette River in Oregon City, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) demands a separate and independent application process — rather than simply assuming a solution to the sea lion situation is one-size-fits-all.

Part of the challenge, NOAA said, is that "the sea lions that gather on the Columbia each spring are protected by the (MMPA) while the salmon they are eating are protected by the Endangered Species Act."

More than 160 sea lions have reportedly been removed from the Columbia River since 2008, yet the sea lion population continues to thrive with more than 250,000 animals living along the West Coast. In 2014, ODFW officials counted 27 sea lions in the Willamette Falls area that were responsible for eating "an estimated 780 wild Upper Willamette River steelhead and 496 wild Upper Willamette River Chinook salmon, which represented 12 percent and 7 percent of the total returns for those species that year, respectively," NOAA reported.

A single-day count at Willamette Falls in 2017 found at least 40 sea lions had eaten roughly 270 steelhead and 399 Chinook salmon, NOAA officials said, noting those numbers as 25 percent and 6 percent, respectively, of each species returning to their traditional spawning grounds for the season. This year was also noted as a "leaner year for salmon returns," officials said.

"According to the State’s calculations, continued predation at such rates could ultimately drive at least some of the runs to extinction," NOAA reported. "Removal of sea lions preying on the vulnerable fish would reduce that risk of extinction," according to projections from Fish & Wildlife biologists.

To inform the ODFW application review process and ultimately make a recommendation on whether NOAA should approve the application at all, NOAA Fisheries will form a Pinniped-Fishery Interaction Task Force made up by scientists, tribal representatives, and others from fishing and conservation groups, NOAA reported. This Task Force will seek input from Oregon City and West Linn residents regarding the sea lion activities around Willamette Falls.

“We’re particularly interested in hearing from people who have experience and observations involving sea lions on the Willamette River, who know when and where these animals spend time, and can offer insights into the magnitude of the problem,” Robert Anderson, Acting Branch Chief for Protected Resources in NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region, said in a statement.

To enter for a position on the Task Force, submit a nomination online or by mail at National Marine Fisheries Service, 1201 N.E. Lloyd Blvd, Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232, ATTN: Protected Resources Division, Portland Branch Chief, NOAA-NMFS-2017-0126.

All nominations must be submitted by Jan. 8, 2018.

On the flip side of this application process are several other organizations with varying stakes in the health of not only the Willamette River and the fishes therein, but also the sea lions themselves.

KATU News reported Thursday at least five separate agencies tossing their proverbial hats in the ring, including the Humane Society (which says killing the sea lions won't solve the overall problem), the Native Fish Society (which says the ODFW ought to focus more on water quality and how that affects fish habitats and migration), and the Association of Northwest Steelheaders (which appears totally cool with killing the sea lions in order to protect the fish).

The Native Fish Society and a handful of other agencies have even gone so far as to issue a notice of intent to sue the Army Corps of Engineers for its alleged poor management of dam migration lanes, among other things, which has resulted in fewer numbers of returning salmon and steelhead.

“Nearly ten years ago, (the National Marine Fisheries Service) NMFS determined that the Corps’ operation of the Willamette dams was likely to jeopardize Chinook and steelhead unless significant changes to the Willamette dam operations were made,” Mark Riskedahl, Executive Director of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, said in the Native Fish Society's notice of intent. “NMFS told the Corps that fish passage was a high priority, yet the Corps has dragged its feet in meeting this requirement and others set by NMFS.”

To avoid litigation, the Corps has 60 days from Nov. 2 to respond to the notice and acquiesce to the society's demands, which the Native Fish Society obviously prefers, or a likely long court process will ensue — all while the sea lions continue to eat the rapidly depleting endangered fish.

Top Image: In this June 17, 2016, file photo, Willamette Falls is shown in Oregon City, Ore. Oregon state officials warned Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, that if California sea lions continue feeding below Willamette Falls, they could push winter steelhead trout to the brink of extinction. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file)