Willamette Falls Sea Lion Kill Underway, Saving Steelhead Is Goal

OREGON CITY, OR – The killing of California sea lions at Willamette Falls is underway. Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife received permission back in November to take the action to protect winter steelhead.

The permit from the federal government says that the state can kill up to 93 of the sea lions at the falls each year.

State officials say that if they had not been given the go-ahead, the sea lions could have caused runs of the winter steelhead to go extinct.

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Oregon Public Broadcasting, which first reported that the kill is underway, quoted a state official saying the hope is to lethally remove 40 sea lions by May.

So far, three have been killed.

Late last year, in a rare bipartisan move that saw Democrats such Oregon senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden on the same side of the fence as President Trump, a bill was passed and signed that gives states more freedom in getting rid of the sea lions.

"Salmon are critical to Oregon's economy, culture and heritage," Merkley said in December when the bill passed.

"It's clear that sea lions are creating a serious threat to the very survival of endangered salmon."

Before seeking permission to kill the California sea lions, ODFW had tried relocating them only to find that they would find their way back to the falls.

Photo and video via Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.