Congress approves bill allowing the killing of sea lions... to protect salmon

The problem is, we have already screwed up the ecosystem. That’s our fault that things are the way they are. Many species are extinct because of us. Whether it be poaching, over harvesting, habitat loss, pollution, or any number of ways we have screwed up the wildlife in this world. So it’s up to us now to balance things out. Nature has its own balance, but we are the ones who have tipped the scales. So now we have to even it out again. Does that mean more bloodshed? Most likely. Is it necessary to restore balance? Well unless you have a better solution to the imbalance, then yah.

I’m all for letting nature take its course. But that can’t happen when there are this many humans on this planet building things everywhere and polluting and protecting certain animals while not protecting others just because one is cute and fuzzy and ones not. 

In reality, the biggest problem that any animal in this world has, is us. But we can’t help that if we want to keep living the way we live now. The damage is done. Our fault. So we need to be able to balance it out.

The problem is, we have already screwed up the ecosystem. That’s our fault that things are the way they are. Many species are extinct because of us. Whether it be poaching, over harvesting, habitat loss, pollution, or any number of ways we have screwed up the wildlife in this world. So it’s up to us now to balance things out. Nature has its own balance, but we are the ones who have tipped the scales. So now we have to even it out again. Does that mean more bloodshed? Most likely. Is it necessary to restore balance? Well unless you have a better solution to the imbalance, then yah.

I’m all for letting nature take its course. But that can’t happen when there are this many humans on this planet building things everywhere and polluting and protecting certain animals while not protecting others just because one is cute and fuzzy and ones not. 

In reality, the biggest problem that any animal in this world has, is us. But we can’t help that if we want to keep living the way we live now. The damage is done. Our fault. So we need to be able to balance it out.

I’d say the issue is more to do with habitat loss than sea lion predation.

I’m not saying that there isn’t room for measures like a pinniped cull. Im also very skeptical that blood lusty dumb-dumbs with guns is any part of a viable solution.

Why is everyone living in the past? Striving to live in the land of yesteryear? Deal with what we have today. We have an abundance of sea lions. We have belt fed weapons. I sea a solution.

I think the "let's kill some shit" excitement in this thread is the reason it's taken some time for the gov't to agree to some predator control on the Columbia. 

Here's what I got from Googling "Cormorants eat":

They eat mainly fish. Adults eat an average of one pound of fish per day, which is typically comprised of small (less than 6 inch) size classes. They are opportunistic and generalist feeders, preying on many species of fish, but concentrating on those that are easiest to catch.

Maybe we need to look harder at how to be a part of Nature instead of just considering how to take Nature apart for our own needs.

This

For those interested in predation on salmon in the Columbia, this article from the CBB includes some interesting information:

http://www.cbbulletin.com/441917.aspx

A quote from the article regarding sea lion predation:

"As many as 45 percent of adult spring chinook salmon are taken by pinnipeds in the Columbia River from Astoria to Bonneville Dam, according to a report by Dr. Michelle Rub. That translates to 35,000 to 100,000 spring chinook salmon per year, Parker said."

The article also summarizes how the cost-benefit analysis of predation control isn't easy, particularly when it comes to predation on juveniles.  As the article points out with compensatory mortality, going out and blasting a bunch of cormorants with a shotgun may not necessarily mean you'll get enough returning adult salmon to justify the cost of the shells.

It is a combination of things. Habitat loss, predation, and many more factors. Most of which, if not all, is our fault. We threw everything out of balance. So if we want to keep enjoying this fishery, we need to balance things out.

And I’m sure I’m not the only person who would be willing to donate my time and shells to fix what we have broken.  Look at what’s going on with the urchin population. We have organized dive hookups to help reduce the exploded population of urchin on our coast. So how is this any different? Just because they’re cute little birds and fluffy sea lions? And of course it’s not their fault the salmon fishery is going down the drain. They’re doing what they’ve been doing forever. But we are helping them do it and keeping them safe. There lies the imbalance.

And the meat would not go to waste. Many animal shelters accept wild game to help keep their animals fed. 

I can’t speak for anyone else, but since I can remember, I was taught to take responsibility for my actions and to fix or replace what I have broken. Of course I’m not saying we directly are at fault, but people are to blame. So people need to fix it.