2 sea lion deaths investigated: at least 1 was shot

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Dr. Greg Frankfurter of SR3 examining sea lion – photo by David Hutchinson)

Two California sea lions found dead in our area in recent days have been necropsied, and at least one was confirmed to have been shot. The report is from Lynn Shimamoto of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network:

On Saturday (10/3) we facilitated the necropsy of a dead California sea lion found floating offshore. SR3 did the examination with assistance from Seal Sitters and Sno-King Marine Mammal Response.

We can confirm that gunshot was the cause of death for this animal. Another sea lion necropsied on Tuesday (9/29) is highly suspected to have died of gunshot; we are waiting for X-ray results. This information has been shared with NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement.

Seal Sitters has typically seen a number of shot sea lions this time of year. If you hear gunfire over the water, please call 911. If you see a stranded marine mammal, dead or alive, please call our hotline at 206-905-SEAL (206-905-7325).

Salishsea October 4, 2020 (8:10 pm)

This is awful and so evil. We were just admiring them at block park last week.

Thinker October 4, 2020 (9:57 pm)

Has anybody put together the correlation of tribal netting and the shot sea lions? Happened last year all went silent. Look into it…

Will October 5, 2020 (9:23 am)

I work on the water around here, almost every single day. There is absolutely a direct correlation between those native nets being put out and the seals and sea lions being shot. I’ve even gone so far as to report it to the USCG and they totally blew me off.Direct correlation. This needs to stop.

Btw. If everyone wants to continue to have orcas in these waters they better put a stop to these nets. The public would be outraged if they knew how destructive they are.
- For orca mammas October 5, 2020 (10:40 am)
  
  Do you have more info regarding the nets? Where they are located? How many? Anyone know which tribe(s) they belong too?
  - Will October 5, 2020 (9:44 pm)
    
    They string them right across the entrance to all the rivers, streams, the locks… It’s really quite bad and I guess there’s been no public uproar because to most it’s definitely out of sight.I also have an unfortunate update. Today I talked with two fish and wildlife police. They informed me that the natives are allowed to shoot the seals and sea lions all they want. So that’s what’s going on. Extremely sad. Very wrong They’re annihilating the salmon and killing the local seals and sea lions at the same time. Please everyone help this stop. A few more years of this and the local orcas are extinct. As well as the last few of our local marine mammals Sorry for the bad news.
    - WSB October 5, 2020 (11:21 pm)
      
      No, that is NOT true. Tribes are not “allowed to shoot seals and sea lions all they want.” See the discussion from earlier this year:
      https://westseattleblog.com/2020/01/followup-investigation-confirms-sea-lion-was-9th-pinniped-shot-dead-in-recent-months/#comments
    - Will October 6, 2020 (8:33 am)
      
      After reading through that old discussion it states repeatedly they are allowed to shoot them if they endanger their “catch” and that they must report it. I’m confused. That discussion seems to reinforce what the fish and wildlife police said. As long as they claim that the seals and sea lions were endangering their catch, and as long as they report it, they are allowed. I’m afraid I do not understand. I’m going to ask the native fisherman directly tomorrow what they think. I think it’s quite the consensus that there should be no shooting of these animals. Bullets ricochet on the water quite far as well.
    - Will October 6, 2020 (8:37 am)
      
      Just reread that discussion and it does they say they have to claim to have tried other things for 5 days before shooting them.

WSlite October 4, 2020 (10:07 pm)

This makes me so sad and upset! Disgusting people like that exist in our world taking away the life of these beautiful creatures. I hope those awful human beings are caught and given the harshest punishments. They deserve the worst!

Elton October 4, 2020 (10:21 pm)

Why would anyone shoot a sea lion? For sport?

New WS Guy October 5, 2020 (12:00 am)

Why shoot them? They are a predator, that have helped desimate the wild run of salmon in Puget Sound.
seaweed October 5, 2020 (6:36 am)

They eat salmon.
Kalo October 5, 2020 (7:47 am)

This is just a theory:several times over the past couple of years, we’ve heard what sounded like gun shots over the water, at the time that fishing nets were allowed to be set in Elliott Bay. A week or so later, a dead sea lion washes up on the shores of West Seattle.Again, a couple of weeks ago, we heard what we thought were shots. I
2 Much Whine October 5, 2020 (11:08 am)

Probably not for sport. More likely that it’s someone that believes that killing sea lions will have a positive impact on saving salmon. I am NOT pointing fingers but I am a member of several fishing groups and the comments I have seen indicate there is a possibility it could be a recreational fisherman that sees the sea lion population as a threat to a strong salmon run OR, as indicated in these comments, it could be someone that is tired of having salmon in their nets eaten by sea lions so they are taking sea lion control into their own hands. These are a couple reasonable possibilities.

Huh October 4, 2020 (10:31 pm)

they are considered a predator to the salmon in the pnw. They do more damage to the fish runs in the pnw than people think.

James October 5, 2020 (9:07 am)

Is it a sport killing, a joy killing or does someone have conflict with the Bay’s sea lion population? Something fishy is going on here…

anonyme October 5, 2020 (9:11 am)

Either ban fishing nets in Elliott Bay or put armed Fish & Wildlife officers on the water any time nets are set. This can’t go on. Leave salmon for the species that require it to live; humans DO NOT have priority.

MS October 5, 2020 (9:34 am)

NOT COOL

John Dickerson October 5, 2020 (2:20 pm)

Folks, it ain’t recreational fishermen. If you tell yourself it’s anyone other than the tribes currently carpet-bombing Elliot Bay and the Duwamish River, you’re fooling yourself. Those kill (or “gill”) nets murder endangered fish, seagulls, seals, otters, you name it. Sea lions often rip out caught salmon for themselves, causing damage to the nets. Tribal fisherman take matters into their own hands, and here we have it.

I Prefer Animals October 6, 2020 (2:50 am)

This is what humans do best — hurt animals, hurt each other, hurt the environment. With humans around, this beautiful planet doesn’t stand a chance. My heart aches every time I see another story about an innocent animal being murdered by some coward. I’m so sick of this.

alki_2008 October 7, 2020 (12:56 am)

Then you definitely don’t want to search out the recent goose killing at Greenlake.

anonyme October 6, 2020 (7:04 am)

I Prefer Animals: I prefer animals, too. Completely agree with you, humans are a despicable breed. The good news is that they are driving themselves to extinction. The bad news is that they’re taking so many other species with them, an estimated 60% since 1970. That report is flawed, but staggering nevertheless. We are the breed & greed species.

Lynn Shimamoto October 7, 2020 (7:47 am)

Seal Sitters can now confirm that the two California sea lions examined last week were shot. SR3 obtained X-rays revealing projectiles in both skulls. The images and recovered projectiles will be given to NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement for investigation.

anonyme October 8, 2020 (3:42 am)

I believe Will. In this state there is a vast difference between the letter of the law and what is actually enforced. It wouldn’t surprise me if Fish & Wildlife was standing down from holding tribes accountable for this slaughter. Gill nets must be banned – no exemptions.

TheLorax October 8, 2020 (10:41 pm)

Since 1851 it’s been a nonstop assault on the natural environment of the Puget Sound.We have a “radical” green governor in Washington state and we can’t even come close to changing our ways fast enough not to lose it all. There will be no wild salmon, no south sound orca, no wild forests. We are doomed and have no one to blame except ourselves.