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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Deal puts sea lion killings on hold

Joseph B. Frazier Associated Press

PORTLAND – The authorized killing of California sea lions at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River would be postponed under a proposal agreed to Tuesday by the Humane Society of the United States and federal and state governments.

The Humane Society filed a motion on March 28 for a preliminary injunction against the authorization for killing the animals and said it would seek a temporary restraining order if it wasn’t granted by Friday, the earliest date the “lethal removal” was likely to begin.

Those favoring the removal say the sea lions are damaging salmon runs listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The states estimate the sea lions eat up to about 4 percent of the spring chinook run en route to upriver spawning grounds.

The proposal, sent Tuesday to U.S. District Court in Portland, would delay the killing authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service until the court could rule on the request for the preliminary injunction.

Under the agreement the Human Society will not seek a temporary restraining order until the preliminary injunction issue is resolved if the defendants, the U.S. Commerce Department and the states of Oregon and Washington, don’t kill sea lions before April 18.

However nonlethal removal of the animals to authorized permanent facilities such as zoos or marine theme parks would be allowed.

Sharon Young, the marine issues field director for the Humane Society, said Tuesday,”We see this as a stay of execution for the sea lions.”

The National Marine Fisheries Service authorized the killing or capture of up to 85 California sea lions a year for five years at the base of the dam but recommended the removal of a smaller number.

The animals are protected by the Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1972 but an amendment allows for lethal removal of some animals at the request of the states.

While the species was nearly wiped from hunting by the 1930s, it has prospered in recent decades and now is thought to number about 240,000.

The authorization to kill or remove sea lions also has strong support from Columbia River Indian tribes.

Oregon and Washington with the support of Idaho, made the request in 2006.