A proposed Washington State bill that would expand the killing of seals and sea lions is facing strong opposition from local marine conservationists, who argue that the measure lacks scientific justification and could have unintended ecological consequences.
Bill 4004, currently under consideration in the Washington State Legislature, seeks to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to allow for broader lethal removal of pinnipeds along all Washington shorelines, including Puget Sound.
Supporters of the bill claim it will help restore declining salmon populations and support Southern Resident killer whales, but Des Moines marine conservation nonprofit SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research (SR3) is urging the public to oppose the measure.
“This bill is ill-advised and not founded on the best available science,” said Casey McLean, executive director of SR3. “It villainizes animals that are an integral part of our region’s marine ecosystem and distracts from the real, human-caused threats to salmon, such as habitat destruction, climate change, and overfishing.”
SR3 cites a report from the Washington State Academy of Sciences, which concluded that there is no definitive evidence that reducing pinniped populations will lead to salmon recovery. According to the report:
“…ecological complexity within the broader food webs in which salmon and pinnipeds reside generates substantial uncertainty about the degree to which pinnipeds have and currently are depressing salmon stocks.”
McLean emphasized that lethal removal of sea lions on the Columbia River since 2008 has not led to significant salmon population rebounds.
“Even as the number and species of marine mammals killed have increased, salmon populations remain far below historical abundance,” she said.
SR3 is calling on Washington residents to sign in opposition to Bill 4004 and submit written testimony to lawmakers before the bill progresses further in the Legislature.
For more information or to take action, visit www.sealifer3.org.
