1. Comment by Bender Bending R. - May 07, 2008 @ 11:00 AM Looks like the same lame scientists that pushed AGW theory before being proven wrong by science. So, we have scientists JUMPING to a conclusion that man must have shot them and then having to shutdown the capture program. Maybe the scientists will actually look at the sea lions next time before trying to blame others.
2. Comment by Dee Little - May 07, 2008 @ 11:45 AM Why was the response to these animal deaths the same as if three human bodies had been found? CRIME SCENE TAPE??? I think it shows quite a skewing of priorities, among other things
3. Comment by Bob Zak - May 07, 2008 @ 12:07 PM Most interesting. This could be a strategy by the Humane Society of America to get what they wanted. Reduce the state and federal trapping effort, that would minimize the predation on the endangered salmon, to a "nuisance" factor. With the recent agreement to stop capture activities until 2009, they have achieved their goal. Obviously salmon are not as important to the Humane Society as these mammals. These endangered salmon are a northwest issue and resource managers should be allowed to manage the fish and the mammals. State and federal managers who agreed with the Humane Society to stop capturing efforts until 2009 made a mistake.
4. Comment by g kortes - May 07, 2008 @ 06:15 PM Sea lions are protected by the endangered species act. To harm them is now illegal. Humans are animals too. We must live with them, not over-ruling them. We do not abuse animals. We treat them like living creatures.
5. Comment by Katie Kelly - May 07, 2008 @ 06:27 PM One killed after trapping, died under anesthesia, another found dead near I-5 Bridge, 6 Sea Lions that were found murdered yesterday, Sunday May 4, 2008 in traps that happened to be closed. The person/s who is responsible had closed the door to the trap and shot the 6 Sea Lions who could not escape. They were all protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but 2 of the 6 Sea Lions were Endangered Stellar Sea Lions that were also protected under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to even be trapping or harassing the Sea Lions according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Putting an end to trapping and killing of the Sea Lions and many believe that Sea Lions have been scapegoated when the real problem is humans. "The real reasons that the Salmon numbers are dwindling and that the recovery efforts are not being successful are because of the dams, over commercial fished, gill net kills and broken gill nets floating free. Dams on the Columbia River that are operating on such a high rate and they are only allowing less than 1 percent of the Salmon run to continue. These are the real reasons that the Salmon recovery isn't improving. Harassing, trapping and killing should be stopped permanently. "The facilities and governmental organizations are directly responsible for allowing the extra-curricular, unauthorized trapping and killing of the Sea Lions". NOAA & ODFW were equally liable due to their knowledge of interviewed fishermen's prevailing attitude that the Sea Lions were to blame and want to continue allowing the trapping, it encouraged and enabled aggression towards Sea Lions. "Fatally wounding these defenseless animals trapped/caged is both cruel and cowardly. According to the NW Director of NOAA Fisheries says, "No true sportsman would ever shoot at a captive animal". "There was so much blood we had to cover them with sight obscuring tarps to shield public view." Now we need to also ask, how did someone kill the 6 federally protec
6. Comment by Katie Kelly - May 07, 2008 @ 06:39 PM #5 cut off mid-sentence - "No true sportsman would ever shoot at a captive animal". "There was so much blood we had to cover them with sight obscuring tarps to shield public view." Now we need to also ask, how did someone kill the 6 federally protected Sea Lions at the Bonneville Dam when it is surrounded with security? Some believe that it was an inside job, or that local fisherman received help from someone on the inside in getting access to the middle island where they could close the trap doors and shoot the Sea Lions. Someone some how was able to get access to that area. Only authorized personnel are allowed on the middle island. Federal laws have been broken, and it sounds like other bullets from previous injuries were found...who is continually getting away with this kind of "unsportsman like", behavior. With a 6,000 dollar reward someone will rat on the rat.
7. Comment by Bender Bending R. - May 07, 2008 @ 07:17 PM Katie Kelly, Salmon runs are determined by ocean currents and the food within them along with the Sacramento River system which caused this years decline. When the Columbia salmon runs are good Alaska's runs are bad and it reverses. The salmon runs have been great of late and even better than than 10 years ago. Dams kill salmon but they are not the cause of the current low runs, the State of California says that the decline is due to the Sacramento River and Ocean food supply NOT THE COLUMBIA DAMS.
8. Comment by Vancouver Jack - May 07, 2008 @ 08:23 PM Salmon are yummy. We eat Salmon. We don't eat Sea Lions, so we should send the Sea Lions to a country where they eat Sea Lions. Let's make good use of the food creatures God has provided for us.
9. Comment by Bob Zak - May 07, 2008 @ 09:33 PM Since the sea lions are so important, like us humans, are they smart like us to??? Then someone needs to tell them to quit eating the endangered salmon.
10. Comment by Katie Kelly - May 07, 2008 @ 09:47 PM So - Bender - Your information seems to supports my logic that the Sealions are being scapegoated? ! I read differing reports on the abundance of Salmon runs & the reasons behind - but if the numbers are down, for possibly inadequate food supplies reasons - potentially due to runoff or other pollutants - warming waters or a 'dead zone' off our coast lack of oxygene? Dams clearly cause some degree of impediment to healthy Salmon runs. I also believe a great deal of evidence has been shown for decades that commercial over fishing and loose gill netting material are causing serious problems. Gill nets kill randomly all sorts of 'unintended' killed/lost sea life including some Salmon species which are not allowed to be harvested. What good are they once they've hung for hours caught up on a net, releasing them dead helps no one. Who tallies those losses? My finer point is the Sealions are most likely not the culprit that they are being made out to be. And it is likely that those responsible for untimely slaughter of the Sealions found death, that we know of, by all indications at the hands of some crazed vigilante. They didn't die of natural causes due to the reports of lot of blood on the platform.
11. Comment by Penny Schinke - May 07, 2008 @ 10:40 PM So, Bender, you're allowing for the shortage of natural food sources in the oceans! Could that shortage possibly be caused by humans over-fishing, leaving huge sieve nets adrift to catch and trap "whatever", polluting our waters from industrial spillage and/or dumping, agricultural chemical leakage, etc. The point is that seals/sea lions will go wherever the food is...just like human beings do. Katie...the latest AP report says that there were three animals in each cage...2 California sea lions and 1 Steller sea lion--Stellers are not only protected, they're on the endangered list--only one had been branded and would have been sent to Sea World....and one was a pup. You're very right that somehow humans killed them...and the seals couldn't close those cage doors. And, yes, Dee, it IS a crime scene, a federal crime scene.
12. Comment by Bender Bending R. - May 07, 2008 @ 10:41 PM Katie Kelly, 'They didn't die of natural causes due to the reports of lot of blood on the platform.' I will wait for the final report on the findings before jumping to any conclusions. Some animals do not like being trapped and or caged and will cause life-threatening harm to themselves. The Humane Society, who kills countless dogs and cats, jumped on this quickly to shutdown the operation. The gill netting is a huge issue that needs addressed. At the same time, if we have humans have caused a situation like we have at the dams and with man-made islands for birds that are kill salmon, then we need to do something to fix it.
13. Comment by Bender Bending R. - May 07, 2008 @ 11:00 PM From the Oregonian-Overeating the cause in one death. 'They said the 1,452-pound sea lion, the largest ever captured anywhere, died while sedated for a health screening because it was extraordinarily fat. Its extreme weight pressed down on its internal organs while under anesthesia, said Steven Jeffries of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.'
14. Comment by Penny Schinke - May 07, 2008 @ 11:10 PM Bob Zak...please, don't judge USHS by the standards set by our local shelter. USHS was heavily involved in pet rescues after Katrina and Rita. They've also been involved in international animal rescues after volcanic eruptions, floods, earthquakes, etc. Now if PETA was involved, you just might have a case...they are ruthless. Yes, panicked fighting and dehydration have been suggested, but the fact remains....a human, or humans, closed the doors and trapped them, and two endangered Stellers were killed, two unbranded Californians and one pup were killed, and one adult Californian which would have been relocated was killed, because human beings decided they weren't being trapped and transfered quick enough. Oh, the latest on Koin, the seventh sea lion found floating has a bullet hole in it's head and has been dead for about 4 days. Could it have been shot when the others were trapped? Such sportsmanship?? No, just plain old cowardly killing.
15. Comment by Penny Schinke - May 08, 2008 @ 02:42 AM Ruminate as you will, Bender, there is no excuse for these seven deaths of marine mammals....especially, the baby pup and the Steller's. The Steller's are on the "endangered list"...and babies are always babies..was this little creature actually eating fish, or suckling it's mother's milk. And all these cowardly, unsportsmanlike, killers will get is one year in prison for each death, and $1000.00 fine times six, maybe seven, if they can get them on the floater seal with a bullet wound in it's head. G*d d**n, have we become such barbarians that NO LIFE is sacred but ours. Sick, cowardly and d**ned "sportsmen"????...these mammals are God's creations... I only can hope that I'm not at Heaven's Gate when this crew arrives.
16. Comment by Dee Little - May 08, 2008 @ 09:36 AM Ahhh.... It's good to see all of you. Missed ya
17. Comment by Dee Little - May 08, 2008 @ 09:39 AM And, yes, Dee, it IS a crime scene, a federal crime scene.>> Penny: So is bank robbery. We didn't get that kind of investigation activity even when one bank was robbed twice in the same day. My comment stands.
18. Comment by Bender Bending R. - May 08, 2008 @ 10:33 AM Penny Schinke, Do you have PROOF that it has been sport fisherman? Please hold judgment until the final report is in. How would you like it if someone called you a coward and a criminal without proof? That is what you are currently doing. Fish and Wildlife officials once said loggers were killing spotted owls using traps and it turned out that it was their own traps that had killed the animals.
19. Comment by C N - May 08, 2008 @ 10:41 AM Actually G Kortes...4 of the Sea Lions are only NOT protected by the endangered species act...Ca Sea Lions are actually not NOT endangered but are protected by the Marine Mamals Act...the steller sea lions are protected by the endangered species act... You always seem to spew facts that are actually fiction...
20. Comment by Vancouver Jack - May 08, 2008 @ 11:29 AM I think the Sea Lions should be harvested, canned, and sent to Japan and Alaska where they would get the appreciation they deserve. Other than that, Sea Lions are useless.
21. Comment by Allen Hoff - May 08, 2008 @ 05:26 PM Ref #5. According to you, without the facts, just like other people, blamed someone for shooting those sea lions. As of now, they still don't know why they died, except THEY WERE NOT SHOT, like some idiot said they were. So join the crowd of people with egg on their face. So I am wondering if maybe you, and some other people can wait for the facts before you try and blame someone? I doubt it, but hope remains that maybe you people can.
22. Comment by Katie Kelly - May 08, 2008 @ 06:49 PM Allen - Hold onto your hostile hinny - The reports are from the necropsies performed that "slugs" and metal fragments were indeed found inside the Sealions, Proving that at some point in time some jerk has shot at and hit these defenseless creatures. IF you want to position yourself, AS IF, you would wait for all the proof to be in before you make a judgement on the matter -- The additional fact that the platform they were caged in and met their untimely demise - was heavily blood covered. Six sealions don't just bleed out spontaneously. I don't really care what falacious case you may want to drum up, in support of the creaton's actions that directly or indirectly caused their deaths. Hopefully the 6,000 dollars that awaits the first to break the silence and turn in his buddy, we will see who has egg on his face. If I am on the jury for that trial I will let you know first, how good it feels to stand in defense of the defenseless.
23. Comment by Penny Schinke - May 09, 2008 @ 01:30 AM Bend...I'm just going with the loud-mouth, foaming at the mouth groups who wax on and on about THEIR salmon. I should suspect people who DON'T fish for a living???? Dee... ok, let you're statement stand. But I have accounts at the People's Community Credit Unions, and, please, believe me, there is way more strident actions being taken than the silly yellow tape that you seem to think is so important.....like, you cannot wear sunglasses or any type of hat when you walk through the door!! Katie...I stand with you, girl chick. Someone has to stand up and defend those who have no voice....ALL animals, wild or domestic...and human beings who because of physical, mental, emotional, psychological handicaps, cannot help themselves. I'm handicapped myself, but I can fight for myself, and have a loving husband, daughters/son-in-law, and grandchildren to help me as well. I'm also a looong time animal activist...cougars, wolves, bison, mustangs, you name it...going back to the early '70's. Fight on, Katie!!!
24. Comment by Dee Little - May 09, 2008 @ 01:19 PM Penny: We'll hafta agree to disagree. Have a good day, hon :)
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