I think the problem, like most always, is that management schemes look at every species, or even portions of ecosystems, in a vacuum.

Orcas eat sea lions, but only some of them. Orcas and sea lions both eat salmon, but one eats them in the ocean, while many of the others pile up at the dam and eat them. Wild fish runs are down, but hatchery plants are thru the roof, which is what brings the sea lions to the dams. Orcas eat hatchery fish, too.

Which ones do we kill first to save all the rest?

Do we ignore the effect of dams on the fish runs, and just look at "who eats who?"...or other habitat or water concerns?

What about other things that affect Orcas, besides just their food supply?

Kill all the damn birds!! Why are the birds there?

We seem to always be in a hurry to find a scapegoat out there "somewhere else" that's screwing things up, instead of noting the obvious...every problem that every species has is caused by us, either directly or indirectly, and usually our "management scheme" to fix the problem addresses symptoms that are far down the line from the actual problem.

Fish on...

Todd