Bipartisan Home reps goal sea lions threatening Washington salmon

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An apex predator threatening a key sector within the U.S. Pacific Northwest is now the unlikely supply of a bipartisan alliance within the Home of Representatives.

Sea lions and their affect on salmon are a rising concern for Washington state , in accordance with Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.

"There’s a wall that stops the 2 events from assembly within the center on a variety of points," Gluesenkamp Perez informed Fox Information Digital. "More often than not, it's important to go brick by brick to tear it down. Once in a while, you possibly can chuck a 2,500-pound sea lion at it."

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California sea lions, apex predators, are posing a problem for salmon and steelhead trout populations within the Pacific Northwest. (Janet Jensen/Tacoma Information Tribune/Tribune Information Service through Getty Photos)

The California sea lion inhabitants has boomed, due to the Marine Mammal Safety Act (MMPA) of 1972. It is now posing a menace to already endangered native fish species in Washington State.

Washington's Division of Fish and Wildlife has deemed sea lions a "severe menace" to Columbia River salmon and steelhead trout.

Each varieties of fish are key to the state's tradition, financial system and pure ecosystems.

"Salmon are an enormous deal in Washington State. We have now in depth salmon-bearing rivers which have historic cultural significance to our Native American tribes, a variety of curiosity and financial exercise with sports activities fishermen, and our rivers are additionally the location of actually vital hydroelectric dams," Baumgartner informed Fox Information Digital.

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Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., attends a listening to on Feb. 5, 2025. (Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc. through Getty Photos)

"There at the moment are large numbers of sea lions in a far disproportionate quantity to any kind of historic numbers that sit on the mouth of the Columbia River … and eat salmon all day. They've a huge effect on the variety of salmon."

Gluesenkamp Perez mentioned motion to cut back the invasive sea lion inhabitants is "precisely the kind of real-world downside that Individuals need Congress to have the ability to resolve."

"A lot of my colleagues like to put their partisan blinders on, but it surely’s arduous for even them to disregard their eyes once they see a sedan-sized pinniped snarfing up the salmon and steelhead that a lot of our communities rely upon," Gluesenkamp Perez mentioned.

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Baumgartner referred to as for "broader latitude" for "extra aggressive sea lion administration strategies."

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., walks up the Home steps for the ultimate votes within the Capitol earlier than Congress' October recess, Sept. 25, 2024. (Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc. through Getty Photos)

A subcommittee panel on the Home Pure Assets Committee held a hearing earlier this month on sea lion predation within the Pacific Northwest. Each Baumgartner and Gluesenkamp Perez participated.

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"Save extra salmon, shoot extra sea lions," Baumgartner posted on X days after the listening to.

Gluesenkamp Perez in contrast the scale of the Steller sea lion, one other species threatening fish within the space, to a Toyota Corolla throughout the listening to.

"Southwest Washington has a severe predatory pinniped downside — tens of 1000's of large invasive sea lions are venturing additional and additional up the Columbia River and its tributaries to gorge on our native salmon. I am pushing to discover simpler deadly removing choices," she posted on X.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox Information Digital main protection of the Home of Representatives. Earlier digital bylines seen at Day by day Mail and CBS Information.