PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A federal agency has authorized the killing of some California sea lions that prey on migrating salmon and steelhead at the base of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, in an order obtained by The Associated Press, says the lethal removal is limited to sea lions deemed to have a significant effect on the decline or recovery of federally protected salmon and steelhead stocks. The offenders must have been seen eating salmonids between January 1st and May 31st of any year.
Sea lions are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammals Protection Act, and the allowable kill would be limited to about 85 animals.
The ruling identifies about 60 sea lions ``authorized for immediate removal.''
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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