Also, NMFS has failed to study the impact of predators on the Steller sea lions, Stevens said. Killer whales feed on juvenile sea lions, the same age class of sea lions that is causing the overall decline, he said. Pollock fishing in critical habitat may actually help sea lions, according to some scientists, Stevens said. As the pollock biomass has increased over the past 35 years, the sea lion population has decreased, Stevens noted. Pollock are a highly cannibalistic species.
Adult pollock eat juveniles in large numbers.
The economic impact of the shutdown is devastating, Stevens said. Besides fishermen and the fish processing industry, the injunction against fishing impacts airlines, shipping companies, regional ports and transportation labor, Stevens said. The majority of the nation's fast food chains use Alaska pollock for their fish sandwiches, and the major frozen food companies also rely on Alaska whitefish for fish sticks, surimi, and other frozen fish products. Right now the science shows that they do not have a very good reason at all.