Gooose,

Regarding your question about seals and sea lions. I think it's a "balance of nature" issue. When the predator population is high (seals) and the prey population is low (steelhead), it does not bode well for the prey. Conversely, in the absence of predators (Yellowstone wolves), sometimes the prey population (Yellowstone elk) gets way out of hand. The principles of ecology are as absolute as the laws of physics, and in perturbed systems - like what we've made out of much of the planet - ecological balance is sometimes restored by site specific environmental disasters.

Since we have severely compromised the salmon and steelhead capacity and productivity of NW river systems, we should carefully consider the consequences of predator populations, like seals, reaching early 20th century levels. If their traditional forage isn't available, well, they gotta' eat something.

I want to have seals and sea lions around, but I don't want to be overrun with them, any more than I would with rats or cockroaches. If these animals are pushing the limits of the resources that support them, then maybe seal seasons would make sense in the way that deer and elk seasons do; it helps keep the population within the limits of its available range while limiting damage to other valuable resources.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.