The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries convened an oversight hearing to address the impact of sea lion and seal predation on salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest. Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) commented on the issue, stating:
"The Pacific Northwest invested decades of work and millions of dollars into resources to develop recovery strategies for anadromous species. Dramatic increases in pinniped populations, which prey on salmon and steelhead, undermine recovery efforts and impact the entire region. This hearing allows us to examine what’s working, where existing authorities fall short, and what additional solutions we must consider to protect salmon, honor tribal treaty rights, and restore balance to the Columbia River Basin."
Efforts by state, federal, and tribal entities have focused on restoring threatened salmon and steelhead populations. However, rising numbers of sea lions and seals—pinnipeds—are causing concern as they target these fish at critical migration points along the Columbia River and other regional waterways.
Tribal communities in the area depend on salmon for both cultural traditions and economic activities. The increase in predation is seen as a threat to their reserved treaty rights as well as ceremonial practices.
Current law under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) restricts most management actions concerning marine mammals but does allow some limited intervention. This management is considered essential for carrying out recovery plans under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 2018, Congress passed the Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act (Public Law 115-329), giving certain state and tribal actors tools to manage pinniped populations specifically within the Columbia River basin. The scope of this law does not extend beyond that area, leaving much of the region without similar management options.
The hearing reviewed how this legislation has been implemented so far and discussed possible additional approaches for addressing sea lion predation throughout more areas of the Pacific Northwest.
