Salmon-eating terns are on their own, no more help from the Army

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday it will not continue killing gulls that have been eating baby Caspian terns at the West Coast's largest nesting colony, located at the mouth of the Columbia River.


The corps issued an environmental assessment to decide whether the continued failure of the tern colony on East Sand Island to produce young due to predation by the gulls would drive the terns to return to another island upstream, where they consumed millions of baby salmon.

The corps concluded that new research indicates the terns are not likely to move the colony, so no action is needed. In recent years, eagles flying overhead have scared the terns into flying off their nests, allowing gulls to move in and eat the eggs and young left behind.

Federal agencies became concerned that the terns would return to Rice Island if they continued to fail to produce new young.

The assessment looked at shooting up to 150 gulls to keep them from eating baby terns. The corps .... http://www.katu.com/living/travel/Army-wont-kill-gulls-to-help-salmon-eating-terns-207295651.html