SEATTLE (AP) — The National Marine Fisheries Service says five or six sea lions have been shot to death near Seattle.
The dead sea lions that drifted to shore on West Seattle this past week include at least one Steller sea lion, a species listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The rest were the small, more common California sea lions.
Brian Gorman of the fisheries service says it is illegal in most — but not all — cases to shoot any kind of sea lion. But he says at least one is found dead near Seattle each year.
The West Seattle Blog first reported the sea lion deaths. West Seattle is on the Peninsula across Elliott Bay from West Seattle.
Gorman says five shooting deaths in one year is highly unusual. An investigation has begun. Federal officials are unsure what kind of weapon was used to kill the animals, and whether the sea lions were killed by one or more rifle.
