SLDBs Christmas wish is that Oregon/ Washington State will stop scapegoating and killing sea lions for eating fish, and that they will focus on the bigger impacts facing habitat and wild fish recovery. Why are these states continuing to funnel millions of tax payer dollars into seriously flawed hatchery programs that pose serious threats to wild-salmon, and habitat health? Excerpt: “Every major peer-reviewed scientific study confirms the presence of hatchery fish causes an often-rapid decline in wild population.” The federal government makes the connection too, Tomine said, “citing genetic pollution from hatchery programs as the main factor in Oregon wild-steelhead decline.” Help us end this tax payer funded harassment of native wildlife on the Columbia River! Please contact: Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber phone: (503) 378-4582 Ask that OREGON stop participating in the lethal take of sea lions on the Columbia River for eating fish. Their impacts are minimal compared to the impacts on ESA wild salmon from: 1. Dams-- have been estimated kill upwards of 17% of the fish, and originally, many of the dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers were constructed without any type of fish passage which decimated the wild runs for decades until fish ladders and fish screens were installed. Spills associated with spring flows have been known to cause the gas bubble disease in fish. 2. Habitat Loss : 50 % of the original spawning grounds have been removed from production after 200 years of industrial human activities on the Columbia River: dredge mining, clear cutting of forests, agriculture production, and transportation in the Columbia River basin have all contributed to the degradation and extraction of salmon spawning habitat on the Columbia River. Thousands of fish continue to die yearly in fields and in dry river beds from lack of screened culverts and maintained screened water diverts across Oregon and Washington. 3. Harvest Impacts: Each year, fishermen in the river are allowed to kill between12 and 17 percent of these same threatened fish runs in the spring and they often exceed the quotas. In-river fisheries in some years kill more than 8 times as many fish as sea lions eat and still more fish are caught while they are at sea. 4. Hatchery Fish: In 2009, an independent blue-ribbon science panel reported to Congress that it was concerned about the impacts wild fish faced from competition with hatchery raised fish. The panel recommended reforming hatchery management, yet the federal government admitted in a 2012 report that no changes have been made. Non-Native Fish: The Columbia River was intentionally stocked with bass, walleye, and other non-native fish to benefit sport fishermen and the states limit what fishermen can catch in order to keep these non-native fish abundant. These fish eat up to 2 million young salmon each year and compete for habitat, yet no efforts have been made to stop or reduce this impact. In closing --Humans have many other food choices that the sea lions do not! We all deserve sustenance, and to live in an environment free from toxins, physical harassment and harm. Thank you for taking action for the sea lions! westseattleblog/2014/12/when-do-more-fish-fewer-fish-author-dylan-tomine-tells-the-steelhead-saga-at-west-seattles-emerald-water-anglers/
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 14:30:38 +0000
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