Bob wrote:
On May 10, 10:21 am, (Richard Casady)
wrote:
On Sat, 10 May 2008 10:13:17 -0700 (PDT), Bob
wrote:

pinipeds, a heated topic in the Columbia River
this last week.
That would be salmon eating seals?

Casady

Yup........ the more common name is California Sea Lion. but seal will
work too.
A few sorta turned up dead just down stream of the Bonnie vill locks.

I dont know what the big deal is bout some salmon eating sea dogs.
Heck they were here eating salmon w a y b4 everyone started gettin so
uptight bout salmon. In fact early 1900s Columbia salmon were the
largest in the world AND had masive harbor seal and sea lion
populations. Seemed like there were enough salmon for pinipeds and
people then. Somthin musta happened. Humm I wonder whats diffrent now
Bob


Actually, there use to be bounty on the critters and whether or not
you collected the bounty, it was always open season. In fact it still is
in the open sea.
When they became protected, the numbers shot up to where there is no
longer enough food to go around and the critters are going up rivers
such as the Lewis where they have never been seen before.
They are also destroying the herring runs in Puget Sound. Adult,
spawner herring gather in certain areas before spawning and the
pinnepeds are devastating them. Course, less herring, less salmon.
Less salmon, even hungrier pinnipeds.
Believe it or not, in lower Puget Sound, the majority of their food
intake is sculpins.
It's kinda like the reintroduction of wolves. All of a sudden they are
everywhere. Wyoming now has an unrestricted hunt for em. Need the same
for the pinnepeds, at least to make the numbers manageable.
The one bright light is that it is inevitable that disease will hit and
wipe out the weakest.
Yeah, I use to be on the Pacific Fisheries Council and have studied
all the background material.
I also know its hard to go up against pictures of cuddly white seal
pups being clubbed for their fur.
Course, as far as salmon go, the nylon curtains are tough to get by also.
Gordon