A couple months ago I wrote a column asking if there was any more room at SeaWorld for pesky California sea lions which are clobbering salmon and steelhead runs on the Columbia River at Bonneville Dam.
Well Anheuser-Busch, which owns SeaWorld, came to the rescue again. In 1996, SeaWorld Orlando took in Bob, Hondo and Big Frank. Those three chubby salmon lovers were pals of THE notorious Herschel, who made a name for himself at Seattle's Ballard Locks feasting on sockeye and steelhead.
Fish and wildlife agents tried every trick in the book to keep the hundred or so sea lions which appeared at Bonneville again this spring away from salmon runs which are thin this year. They sought and were granted special persmission to remove the mammals protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act which could include killing them if they ran out of options.
The sea lions are driving game wardens crazy. Nothing seems to deter them and they only abandoned the Ballard Locks when the salmon and steelhead runs were so deciminated that it will take years for them to return to normal.
According to The Columbian, SeaWorld came through again, at least for the time being. Anheuser-Busch is paying for the shipment of the 600 to 1,000 lb. creatures. To date, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have trapped two dozen sea lions, including two endangered Stellar sea lions, and they will soon be on their way to SeaWorld. SeaWorld has a mammal rescue program which is helping to save other mammals like manatees as well.
If those sea lions were people, they would belly up to the bar and hoist their glasses to August A. Busch IV, the CEO of Anheuser Busch. Bud is not only picking up travel expenses, but a big grocery bill as well
Don C. Brunell, President (DonB@awb.org)
