Salmon protection bill championed by Herrera Beutler passes House

A bill with strong Pacific Northwest support allowing culls of sea lion populations to preserve salmon populations received strong approval in the U.S. House of Representatives last month, garnering a 288-116 vote that moves it to the Senate for consideration.

House Resolution 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, passed handedly in the House June 26. The bill was introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, in April 2017, and is co-sponsored by Kurt Schrader, a Democratic Representative from Oregon.

The bill allows tribal and government resource managers to lethally remove a limited number of sea lions of two species in specific areas of the Columbia River.

The bill amends a section of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to provide states and local tribes resources necessary to manage sea lion populations so long as the animals aren’t a species covered in the Endangered Species Act.

Speaking on behalf of the bill, Herrera Beutler said its passage “signals a return to a healthy, balanced Columbia River ecosystem” by managing an “unnatural, overcrowded” sea lion population harming fish populations.

“We’re not anti-sea lion. We’re just for protecting a Pacific Northwest treasure: salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and other native fish species iconic to our region,” Herrera Beutler said. “Simply put, this measure cuts through the bureaucratic red tape, streamlines the permitting process, and allows states and tribes to rapidly respond to remove sea lions from areas they pose the most threat to salmon recovery.”

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Acting Director Joe Stohr appreciated the action heralded as a bipartisan effort by several of those involved.

“Sea lion predation on salmon is a complex issue, and we thank them for recognizing the need for action to help recover threatened and endangered populations in the Columbia River,” Stohr said.

Renowned Woodland-based fishing rod manufacturer Gary Loomis also spoke on the day of the bill’s passage, calling it a “big step forward” in preserving salmon populations.

“There is strong scientific consensus on the need for action,” Loomis said, adding he was encouraged by recent progress in the U.S. Senate, where the bill is now, that the legislation will be signed into law “before it is too late.”