Real sea lion problems

[taggermike]

The full response with 12 heavily armed wardens smashing down the door is a bit distresseing. The shot of the little kid with the assault rifle weilding officer next to him is ugly too. They knew the fool had a gun but could they have perhaps apprehended him on his way to work with out exposing the family to that trauma? I've seen video of suspected murderers taken down with less force. Is this what we have to look forward to? Mike

[desert_s10]

I don't agree with shooting seals ONLY because I cant buy a seal tag to do it legally. They did it to make an example of him. Of course there are better ways of apprehending a suspect but that doesn't make for good PR. Who do you think called the media?

[Billy V]

What was the reason or the circumstances for the shooting ?

[dsafety]

Billy,

According to the UT, the guy was pissed because the sea lion kept taking his fish. Good thing that never happens off La Jolla.

Protecting marine mammals is a good idea that has resulted in some unintended consequences. Before we became so civilized, marine mammal populations were kept in check by natural predators such as sharks and even bears or mountain lions. Many of these natural predators are now gone so the seal and seal lion populations have increased to the point where have become a nuisance to humans.

A couple familiar examples come to mind. The cute seals have won out over human children at the Children's Pool, (soon to be officially known as the "Casa Marine Mammal Preserve". The sea lions are no dummies. The have learned that it is much easier to steal bait and hooked fish from fishermen rather than earning their lunch the way it has been done for many thousands of years before Man interfered.

Now I am not suggesting that the protections that seals and sea lions currently enjoy be removed. I am suggesting, however, that we need to keep things in prospective when addressing this issue. Seals and sea lions have become a nuisance because of Man's behavior.

If we stay on the path we are currently following it is entirely possible that some local fisheries may become decimated. Not as a result of over-fishing by humans but from marine mammal overpopulation.

It's something to think about.

Bob

[SeaEagle_1]

dsafety you make a great point. seal populations have exploded and is probably one of mans' best success stories in in bring a species back from the brink. and as you mentioned we have also been responsible for the loss of other natural predator. so the we have an issue. yes i think they should be protected from man, but from joe public. the boater. the yakker. the dock fisherman. but i also think that seal populations have grown bigger then at any other time, so if this is true then they are eating much more fish. and we all know that those things are NEVER full! they are very opportunistic. so maybe the MLPA should be focusing on THIS issue! lets cull the herd? lets put the meat to use. use the blubber. use ever part of that animal for good. but cull it back down to normal levels. i fear the day is coming that we are going to read in one of these forums that a kayak fisherman will be killed by a hungry seal as he had a fish on the line or was taking it off the hook.

as for the storm trouper raid on that guys house. from what i have been able to read and see everyone involved with this case from the law enforcement side are pissed that the worst they can do to the guys is charge him with a misdemeanor. its a serous issue. the man had a gun and shot an animal where people go. what if he missed? what is the angle was wrong? its the "what if's" and the gun that cause such a stern action on the DFG offices.

overkill? yes. did he pose a risk or a threat to others? no. so it was uncalled for to smash his door open the way he did. not like he was a gang banger or something like that.

but with all that said, i do hope he gets the full term in jail. one year for a misdemeanor. seals are a majestic animal. very beautiful to watch. and a smart animal that does not deserve to be shot cause its annoying you. stories like this do nothing to help our cause and can in fact do harm with all those tree huggers out there.

ok that is my two cents! LoL.

[Tman]

Just my thoughts...

Seals, sea lions, sea dogs, are not vegetarians. The more they multiply, the more they eat, right?

What a concept...

Now let's replace the sea dogs with sea cats...a step further, the sea cats with land cats and dogs.

Coyotes attack our household pets. Also, they have been known to attack children. In pursuit of food, they will go after anything to quench their appetite. Let's not hurt them or abuse them based on the same theory.

Now to larger cats...mountain lions. When they attack live stock, DFG, upon proof, will allow the rancher to take any measure necessary to protect his stock, thus the farmer brings in goats, which still get decimated.

So, based on this reasoning, we are to allow seals, sea lions full reign, while our land animals who have the potential to cause harm to humans, are fair game.

Unless I am missing something, each of these predators have an impact on our food chain and/or threaten our safety.

Is it safe to assume that upon the first confrontation with a human and a sea lion, they will be then categorized in the same manner as the coyote and mountain lion?

After all, we are all in search of food...

[Billy V]

Sea Lions do come uncomfortable close to kayakers to attack our catch, sometimes boarding or flipping a kayak. I would consider that a life threatening situation while I was a couple of miles offshore in a kayak.

Are we (kayakers) allowed to defend ourselves when faced with an attacking Sea lion ? Its not like they are defenseless.

-If for instance I was legally fishing in front of the Children's Pool and a Seal or Sea Lion try to board my kayak to steal a Calico Bass sitting in my rear well. Could I shoot him because I was in fear of loosing my life ?
-I would sure like to know.
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Does Kalifornia allow kayakers to carry a bang stick or firearm on board ?

[dsafety]

While I am not aware of a report of a seal lion attack on a human, (except for me when I once paddled a zodiac too close to a rookery on San Clemente Island), the possibility certainly exists. The time may come when a hungry sea lion attacks a defenseless swimmer or beach walker. If that happens the fit will hit the shan.

Many marine mammals were hunted and abused during the not to distant past. In an attempt to pay restitution for past offenses, we have protected and coddled some these wild animals to the point that they are no longer "wild" in the truest sense.

Sea lions, and to a lesser extent seals are the ocean's coyotes. These animals are smart and very adaptable. During the last half century, we have taught them to depend on Man for much of their sustenance. Some of these animals know of no other way to feed themselves other than to take the easy meal provided by Man. These animals, under our protection, are thriving but as their populations grow, they may be thriving at the expense of other wildlife. For example, the rapidly growing sea otter population has been blamed for the disappearance of abalone along much of the California coast.

I recognize that it would be extremely difficult to get the average Joe, who has only seen photos of the cute seal pups on the beach, to support a progressive idea such as reducing their population to save an ecosystem as a whole. It may come down to that however.

Maybe one day there will be a truly science-based MLPA that looks at all the factors that influence a healthy fishery. If that ever happens, I suspect that sea lions will get a lot more attention than they did this time around.

Bob