Bonneville Dam & Sea Lions, June 17

Less California Sea Lions are making the 150-mile swim up the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean to the Bonneville Dam east of Portland to prey on trapped salmon trying to clear the federal hydroelectric facility.  The volume of salmon eaten is also down, but officials have a new concern.  The presence of Stellar Sea Lions.  They eat more and have greater protection.  Since the trapping and relocating program began in 2008, 70 California Sea Lions have either been euthanized, or trapped and sent to new homes.  Fifteen have been killed this year.  Wildlife officials in both Oregon and Washington are now considering expanding their removal program to other species, such as the Stellar Sea Lion.  Research by NOAA in 2013 showed about one-third of the salmon run between Astoria and Portland didn’t make it to the dam, 40-miles east of Portland.  They suspect hungry sea lions are the reason.  Authorization for the current removal program runs out in 2016.