Ocean Sentry
Starting at roughly 7:00 am PST today, more than 30 sea lions including babies were captured in a floating trap down by the pier at the Port of Astoria, according to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Dam Guardians, who are on the ground along the Columbia River to document the horrors befalling these federally protected animals for the crime of eating salmon. The large number of sea lions captured is primarily due to the trap being one of the few places for the sea lions to haul out in the area. Due to the sheer numbers of animals crammed into the trap and the additional weight of one of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) workers standing on the side of the trap, the trap began to sink and several animals were caught in a panic when the cage was mostly submerged for too long and they almost drowned….
