WA HJM4004

Washington State Legislature requests Congress to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to expand lethal removal authority for sea lions and other pinnipeds beyond the currently authorized portion of the Columbia River

The 2018 Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act allowed limited lethal removal of sea lions on the Columbia River, and these efforts have shown signs of success in protecting salmon

Washington State Academy of Sciences reported in 2022 that pinniped populations are a contributing factor in declining salmon populations in Washington waters and recommended expanding lethal removal as a recovery tool

Current federal law prevents state and tribal resource managers from implementing recommended pinniped management strategies outside the Columbia River area

The memorial requests authority to use adaptive management tools, including lethal removal of pinnipeds, across all Washington marine shorelines and Puget Sound to protect endangered salmon stocks