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[clarki]

There's been a lot of discussion on this board about the impact of seals on smolts and returning adults in BC waters.

Now imagine massive, hungry, sea lions parked below a falls on a narrow stretch of the Willamette River, 40 km south of Portland.   

Sea lions congregating below Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River is nothing new, however it is new to see them taking up residence in smaller tributaries.

Make sure you read the last sentence of the article to learn the success of trapping and re-locating #U253.

It's a complicated issue...
 
http://vancouversun.com/news/world/sea-lions-gobbling-fragile-fish-in-us-northwest-survival-war/wcm/7f575ea5-06fe-48bd-90aa-717d3128c532

[wildmanyeah]

Squamish stream keepers just counted 197 seals in the system

[wildmanyeah]

Little Campbell river Hatchery was decimated this year when a bunch of seals swam all the way up. They found steelhead tails,heads ect on the beach, Herd the slaughter was pretty complete. Sad

Do we want an enhanced seal population or do we want an enhanced salmon population?

[santefe]

Although it was years ago a friend and I saw a seal in the Chwk up in Bell Acres Rd. area

[RalphH]

There was a discussion/article posted on here in the past few years that said something along the lines of the Georgia straits historical Seal population was 40,000 to 60,000 and that it is now upwards to 1,000,000? I'm sure that same trend will be elsewhere.. and yeah.. they like eating baby Salmon... I'm not surprised. Wasn't there a Sea Lion living in the Stave for a while? It is savage, and they clearly decimate, but we scared/killed off their predators and are too animal friendly for a cull.

currently thought to be about 105,000 for the entire Province - perhaps 40,000 in the Strait of Georgia.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/338997.pdf

During 1879-1914 and 1962-1968, harbour seals in B.C. were commercially harvested for pelts, and
over-hunting  during  these  two  periods  depleted  populations.    Bounty  payments  offered  for  predator 
control during 1914-1964 maintained populations below natural levels.  Aerial surveys indicate that the abundance of harbour
seals in B.C. has increased dramatically since the species was protected in 1970.  Populations grew exponentially during the 1970s and 1980s, but growth rates began to slow in the 1990s, and the population now appears to have stabilized.  In  2008  it  was  estimated  that  about  105,000  harbour  seals  inhabited  coastal  waters  of  B.C.,  compared  with  perhaps  10,000  when  the  first  surveys  were  conducted  in  the  early  1970s.    The  current population size appears to be similar to pre-exploitation levels that occurred in the 1880s, and recent increases can be attributed to the recovery of populations from over-harvesting.

This is harbour seals alone - sea lions have experienced similar population explosions once they were protected in 70s.

[arimaBOATER]

Sea Lion returns to river by the falls after a 5 day swim. ( article ) and extra hungry to boot!!!
Said they kill one but another takes it's place!!!
Well ya can kill a flea on a dog but there 's more fles. Just keep killing the fleas one by one & eventually there 's no more a flea problem. Keep the Sea Lions in the salt. If coming to the river ...they get killed.
Humanely (sp?) maybe good for the barbecue.
Black bears if being a neighbour problem get killed humanely. Gov can get $$$ for parts/ meat. On,y problem bears.

[BCLAX]

Squamish stream keepers just counted 197 seals in the system

Jeez thats obscene. More seals than fish returning to the upper river.

[RalphH]

seals move around quite a bit and double counting is likely. I wouldn't take that number as 'gospel'

[dobrolub]

Double counting is possible, but double killing is unlikely. Sea seals should remain in the sea. If they venture out in the river they should be shot.

[RalphH]

they are protected by Federal Law. Occasionally permits do get issued to kill nuisance seals.

Seals have been common in our local rivers for as long as I have been fishing them. I'd say river sections close to tide water are part of their natural habitat. I recall seeing seals in the lower Fraser in the 60s while bar fishing.  I also saw people shoot at them. They were bad shots and the seals soon reappeared. Other than at Furry Creek I've never lost a fish to a seal locally. I have lost fish to loons while lake fishing. Once you wise up to it, it is fairly easy to avoid that.

Many fishermen seem to hate and want to harm just about anything that gets between them and the fish they seek. Seals, eagles, otters, killer whales and other 'predatory' species of fish. I believe there was once a bounty on Dolly Varden (aka Bull Trout these days) in BC. Now they are a highly desired and sought after sport fish & pretty much catch & release in BC rivers.

[Steelhawk]

Double counting is possible, but double killing is unlikely. Sea seals should remain in the sea. If they venture out in the river they should be shot.

X2. Seals that venture out into the tiny eco system of the upper section of a river where salmon/steelhead congregate to be ready to spawn should be eliminated. They don't live in their natural eco system of the ocean. I once saw a seal as high up as the Ranger Run. I am sure that thing would go up to the Slab and even the old limit hole where fish sit in large number and not actively swimming to avoid being eaten. How on earth fish stock can take that kind of predation at close range day in and day out? Seals doing that should be shot to protect precious fish stock from going extinct.

[RalphH]

Unfortunately outside of the fishing community very few people would agree that seals or sea lions should be shot whenever they venture into rivers. Sea Lions and seals are abundant in the Fraser when the eulachon run in late April. It's a natural thing man! Go see them sometimes - it's a sight!

Many river guides report that clients enjoy seeing wildlife including pinnepeds when out fishing on the Fraser.

There is no bigger seal attractant on the coast to equal the massive and totally artificial run of white springs into the Vedder every fall.  Maybe we should get rid of them!

[Dave]

There is no bigger seal attractant on the coast to equal the massive and totally artificial run of white springs into the Vedder every fall.  Maybe we should get rid of them!

Haha!  add to that the several million smolts released every spring.  I have a feeling DFO will be upping the chinook production on the Vedder to make orca food ... if so I expect a reduction in some other fish produced there.




With any luck that would be steelhead

[wildmanyeah]

One of the big thing that I don’t agree with is the Vancouver Aquarium takes in over 200 seals from all over the bc coast and rehabilitation them.

Then release them all in the same spot in Vancouver harbour.

Silly

[RalphH]

I can understand some will disagree with the Aquarium's rehab program however much of the recent scientific information on seal movements and feeding comes from some of the seals who have been fitted with electronics and even head cams - so there is information coming from those seals that is not available by other means.

Specific information on collection, releases and animals either euthanized or died after collection is here: https://rescue.ocean.org/patient-list