Should U.S. Government Kill Thousands of Birds to Save Salmon?

EAST SAND ISLAND, Oregon—Alexa Piggott is crawling through a dark, dusty, narrow tunnel on this 62-acre island at the mouth of the Columbia River. On the ground above her head sit thousands of seabirds. Piggott, a crew leader with Bird Research Northwest, is headed for an observation blind from which she'll be able to count them.

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It's September, and the low-lying island is relatively quiet. Most of the fledglings and their parents have left, and only a few thousand pelicans and cormorants remain. But in the spring, 60,000 birds come here to nest. East Sand Island is home to the largest breeding colony of Caspian terns in the world and the largest colony of double-crested cormorants in North America—nearly 15,000 pairs. ....

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...es-environment/

A little more subtle is the recommendation to lower the height of the man-made island such that it floods during high tide.

Or: http://www.ahctv.com/tv-shows/ultimate-weapons/videos/ultimate-weapons-mother-of-all-bombs.htm

Last I knew, there were a couple sitting around at Tooele waiting to be dismantled. This would be easier

YES! It's about time. Also let some Coyotes, Fox and Raccoons go on the island during the nesting season. That should take care of any future generations.

I think a few doghouses for coyotes would be a great idea.

Deposit a few pigs...problem solved

That would also work.

Not sure any of the above solutions would be effective.

Yes, predators would make East Sand Island unsuitable for terns and cormorants. They would leave the island. But where would they go?

To another nearby island? Upstream towards Bonneville Dam? Willapa Bay? Gray's Harbor? Puget Sound? How many folks want lots more cormorants in Puget Sound or Gray's Harbor. Raise your hand.......

However, it's likely they would go where there is food, which means they would not go far. Their current diet is 80% saltwater fish such as herring, anchovies, and sand lance. 20% are salmon/steelhead. If they leave the Columbia Rv estuary, it's likely that their diet of salmon will go UP, not down. Particularly if they go upstream towards Bonneville Dam.

That's why lethal control is being considered. However, my sense is that the bird folks won't be amused. I will be very surprised if lethal control is ever implemented. That option is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Sorta like sea lions, only worse.

What they fail to mention is with even larger sealion and bird populations were having record salmon runs.

Yes the birds would move, but the point is the pigs would eat all the eggs. It's unlikely the birds would find any new nesting site comparable with sand island. I don't think the goal is to kill every tern but to make the situation manageable.

The other beauty of the pig solution is the big community BBQ each fall in Ilwaco

SQ - That's true for Caspian terns, but not cormorants. Terns are very specific in their nesting areas. However, cormorants can nest almost anywhere. They really like the underside of bridges. Trees can be great nest sites. So can isolated islands and rock outcroppings. They will likely go/stay where the food is, and make their nests wherever they can. That's what they're designed to do.

So the question remains: If they are pushed off East Sand Island, where will they go?
The prevailing theory is that it doesn't matter since wherever they go will likely result in higher salmon consumption, not less. So rather than move them, the preferred option is to kill them.

Like I said earlier, the bird lovers aren't amused by that option.