FOLLOWUP: Investigation confirms sea lion was 9th pinniped shot dead in recent months

| West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news | Wildlife

(Photo by Kersti Muul, last week at Constellation Park)

The most-recent California sea lion to wash up dead in West Seattle had indeed been shot. That’s the update we received tonight from Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network:

Seal Sitters just received results from the radiographs taken of our most recent dead California sea lion, towed from Constellation Park to Don Armeni boat launch for necropsy on the 3rd. This is the sea lion that had originally washed ashore on a private beach further south on Christmas Day.

The X-rays confirm that the animal was shot in the head. Projectiles will be removed from the skull and turned over as evidence to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement.

The most current Fall/Winter statistics to date of pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) confirmed shot dead in Central and South Puget Sound now stand at 9. An additional 4 deaths are suspicious, but cause was not confirmed.

For more info, go here.

As always, please report all marine mammals on shore, live or dead, to Seal Sitters’ hotline @ 206-905-SEAL (7325).

A year earlier, at least a dozen shot sea lions were found in central Puget Sound.

Pilsner January 9, 2020 (10:34 pm)

WTH

WSOwl January 10, 2020 (2:25 am)

Sad :(

anonyme January 10, 2020 (5:50 am)

It’s time for these hunters to become the hunted. Put a bounty on their heads.

West Seattle Lurker January 10, 2020 (6:00 am)

I heard the fisherman shooting a few weeks ago in the Bay.

Harold January 10, 2020 (8:13 am)

Trust the Gortons fisherman.
john January 10, 2020 (8:53 am)

If what LURKER says is true, LURKER should also be responsible when aware of crimes to report them. Did LURKER call in or report “the fisherman shooting a few weeks ago in the Bay”?I am no “seal watcher” but take our marine mammals’ Federal protections seriously. There are easy ethical options and great support for reporting marine mammal deaths, I hope LURKER has upheld the legal and moral obligations.
- kersti muul January 10, 2020 (12:29 pm)
  
  Yes, please call 911 immediately it is illegal to be shooting in the waterway. The only way to catch these people is to be diligent. if killing sentient beings doesn’t rally you up, maybe the $20,000 reward will?
  - Liz January 10, 2020 (3:54 pm)
    
    I did. Did no good!

James Bliss January 10, 2020 (8:15 am)

Is the West Seattle Blog the only media reporting on this?

Elton January 10, 2020 (12:45 pm)

This is probably a naive question, but why would someone want to shoot a seal? Would someone have shot the seal to eat it? For sport?

Liz January 10, 2020 (3:53 pm)

They shoot them because they mess with their trying to catch fish

Liz January 10, 2020 (3:52 pm)

I saw a person in a fishing boat with a rifle and shoot the rifle at the water in the bay. I called Noah. I called Seal Sitters. I called 911. Police came to my place. Watched out my spotting scope the boat and person I reported. A police boat went out to that person. I was told since they are Indian fisherman they can shoot sea lions.

WSB January 10, 2020 (8:56 pm)

As far as I can tell from research, tribal fishers do NOT have carte blanche to kill sea lions.
- Kersti Muul January 10, 2020 (9:01 pm)
  
  Correct. Tribes have a process and laws they must follow as well.
- Winston Smith January 10, 2020 (9:24 pm)
  
  I’ve been told that the Muckleshoot fisherman have the right to shoot sea lions if they are endangering their catch or their lives but that they must report it. Perhaps someone from SR3 or Seal Sitters can clarify?

Steve January 10, 2020 (7:05 pm)

It’s gotta be a person in a boat. This many gunshot sounds would have been reported and the person caught by now.

Liz January 10, 2020 (7:34 pm)

It is. I have a picture of them too. I called seal sitters. Noah. 911
- john January 10, 2020 (8:14 pm)
  
  Please share the picture?
- Liz January 10, 2020 (9:24 pm)
  
  I will call tomorrow. Thank you.

Kersti Muul January 10, 2020 (8:58 pm)

That’s does not qualify as an investigation. Please call me ASAP.

Winston Smith January 10, 2020 (9:32 pm)

https://q13fox.com/2018/12/27/new-law-makes-it-easier-to-kill-sea-lions/

WSB January 10, 2020 (9:40 pm)

Note this paragraph: “Permit holders would first have to capture, brand and monitor a problem sea lion caught eating endangered fish for at least five days, and try legal hazing techniques to deter them before killing them using “chemical methods.””

Stop... January 10, 2020 (11:43 pm)

If people didn’t carry guns, or have access to them- they couldn’t kill seals or people. Cue self-righteous Scalia-esque straw man arguments about constitutional rights.

This is stomach turning.

Robin Lindsey January 12, 2020 (1:37 pm)

Seal Sitters MMSN would like to stress that all accounts of suspicious activity or eyewitness accounts of marine mammal harassment and harm needs to be reported to the PROPER authorities. The shot sea lion cases are currently under active investigation and all evidence is being turned over to NOAA Office for Law Enforcement. ALL reports need to go to law enforcement. NOAA coordinates investigations with WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife, local police, and Coast Guard. These agencies do not comment or give updates on active investigations.1. URGENT INCIDENTS. Call 911 immediately if you hear gunfire from the waterway. Next, for West Seattle incidents, including the Duwamish River, call Seal Sitters hotline ASAP (206) 905-7325. Report to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE): 206-526-6133 (local business hours) or 800-853-1964 (any time)2. To report NON-URGENT INCIDENTS, call NOAA OLE: 206-526-6133 (local business hours) or 800-853-1964 (any time).

Robin Lindsey January 12, 2020 (1:46 pm)

Regarding tribal incidents with pinnipeds: If NOAA determines an incident is tribal-related, Office for Law Enforcement refers the matter back to the respective tribe for enforcement. Regulations allow tribal fisheries to use non-lethal deterrence of marine mammals and only in extreme instances, lethal deterrence to protect themselves, their catch and their gear. They must report killing or serious injury of marine mammals to NOAA through the NW Indian Fisheries Commission.

Doesn’t matter... January 12, 2020 (2:49 pm)

Tribal or not, marine mammal or not. This sounds like unlawful discharge of a firearm and whether NOAA or whomever irons out their side of law enforcement, the offender is bound by municipal, county, state and federal laws regarding discharging a gun. Even if they tried to claim it was an accident, they are bound by negligent discharge laws. Throw the book at them & make an example of them. No place for guns in our city or country for that matter.

anonyme January 13, 2020 (7:01 am)

Sounds like a hell of a lot of bureaucracy getting in the way of justice, as if that were anything new. The laws regarding tribal fishermen are, like so many other laws in this state, written as to be unenforceable. In essence, tribal fishermen regulate and prosecute themselves. Unforgivable nonsense.

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