Quote:
Originally posted by Rob Allen:
For centuries seals, sealions, salmon and man exsisted peacefully together and each one of them got exactly what they needed from the others.

maybe there should be a harvest on some of these marine mammals however killing them outright and disposing of the carcass is wrong and wasteful.
Also blaming marine mammals for declines in wild salmon populations is innaccuate. There is one species that is the cause of salmon declines, that species is even a mammal. Humans are 100% responsible for the poor salmon runs of the last 100 years and are even partly to blame for the apparent overpopulation of marine mammals and their comcentrated populations that are a direct result hatchery programs. By shortening return times and places fish return we have created localized overabundances of salmon. Predatory species always respond to overpopulation of prey by expanding their own population. our hatchery practices have made it easy for them to survive by creating unnaturally high concentrations of hatchery fish in unnaturally small areas for unnaturally short periods of time.
predatory marine mammals would have less impact if we relied on wild runs which return in smaller concentrations over a greater length of time. Fish would be harder to catch and so there would be fewer mammals feeding upon them. Don't blame these creatures for what we have done!!

also as far as I am concerned they can have all the hatchery fish they want...
I only agree with your second paragraph. The rest sounds really convincing to someboby who doesnt know anything. Thats why your anti hatchery rhetoric is believed by so many people but not us. Evidently you need to check out the studies being done on the Hood canal which show native populations are declining due to seal predation at the mouths of rivers where there is no hatcheries. The hatchery rivers are doing just fine!.

ultimatly it is are fault for the overabundance, but not because of hatcheries its because of the killing of the seal eating Orcas and the failure to manage seal populations accordingly.

I am sure your happy now though because if the new regs get adopted along with the hatchery closures fishing in saltwater and rivers will be virtually nill in five years. That is your goal isnt it?