Federal harassment of the birds was blocked this spring by a federal court judge, but on their own, nearly the entire colony abandoned Rice Island for East Sand Island, the corps' choice. The birds apparently were attracted by such passive measures as a cleared, 4-acre patch of sand, tern decoys and tern call recordings. What we have been able to prove . The migration of just a few miles apparently accounts for the drastic decrease in salmon consumption, probably because the waters near East Sand Island provide more food sources for terns. Willis and the corps' Caspian tern working group now want to disperse the terns to several sites around the Northwest so they aren't a burden to any single salmon run.
Trouble is, no one wants the terns, now infamous for their gluttony.
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