U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) this week helped the U.S. House of Representatives approve the Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act.
S. 3119, a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in June, aims to improve the survival of endangered salmon, steelhead and other native fish species in the Columbia River system, which runs through their home state of Washington and several others. The Senate passed the measure on Dec. 6 by unanimous consent, the House followed suit on Dec. 11, and S. 3119 now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
“Eastern Washington believes in both supporting clean, renewable hydropower and protecting our endangered salmon, a species so unique to the history of our region,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said. “This bill is another important step in protecting our endangered salmon.”
S. 3119 would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue one-year permits allowing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, several Native American Indian tribes, and the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission to kill sea lions in a portion of the Columbia River and certain tributaries in order to protect fish from sea lion predation, according to a congressional record summary.
The legislation removes non-native California seals, which eat salmon as they enter the ocean or when they return to the rivers to spawn, explained McMorris Rodgers.
If enacted, S. 3119 would allow permits to be issued to kill sea lions only if the sea lions are part of a population that is not depleted; would authorize the lethal taking of 100 sea lions or fewer; and exempt permits from environmental review requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for five years, among other provisions, according to the congressional record summary.
“Billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest only to see invasive sea lions take a bite out of the population,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Non-native sea lions have had a severe impact on spring Chinook salmon mortality on the Columbia River.”
Rep. Newhouse lauded his colleagues in the House and Senate “with whom I have worked on legislation in our bipartisan effort to improve management of pinnipeds threatening salmon.”
Rep. McMorris Rodgers pointed out that over the past 80 years, her state and others have seen a steady increase in salmon recovery rates on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, “largely due to increased technology and innovation at our dams,” she said.
“By mitigating sea lion predation we can increase fish recovery without costing Washingtonians hundreds of millions of dollars,” the congresswoman added.
S. 3119 was introduced on June 21 by U.S. Sens. James Risch (R-ID) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).