In my view the WDFW ignores pinniped predation by sea lions and seals. When I have asked if it is considered in harvest mortality or in run size estimates I get a vague answer. I do not think WDFW makes any effort to track it even when they have observers on the boats while it is occurring. My Grays Harbor observations of drift nets last fall and set nets recently indicates that from 10% to 50% of the fish that engage a net end up with a sea lion or seal. They do not show up in harvest numbers. Losses happen to recreational fishers as well but I have only lost one fish to a sea lion the past decade so in my view the percentage lost is low in the range of under 2%.

Harvest data in the models now includes 2-3% net drop out and 56% release mortality as part of the allocated harvest mortality. The models do not include pinniped losses which I think are a direct harvest mortality due to the gear type. If these mortalities were considered in the harvest calculations it would more fairly penalize set nets and drift nets for the loss they directly cause. I think there is a need for good loss data and that it should be part of the model harvest calculation for both treaty and non-treaty fishers.

Below is a picture of a typical race to a steelhead in a net. This time the sea lion won.