The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-07-25
WAR ON THE SEA LIONS.
oregon and Washington Salmon Fisher
men Would Exterminate Them.


Oregon and Washington Salmon Fisher
men Would Exterminate Them.
FISHERMEN OF the north Pacific coast
IRE undertaking movement for the
destruction of the sea lions, the invet-
crate enemies of salmon and other food
fishes, and which annually make meal
eulable rayages in the schools of Chi
hooks, steel heads, and other varieties
Of salmon that hover off the Washing
ton and Oregon coast. The last Greg N
legislature passed a bill offering
bounty of $3.50 for each sea lion killed
In the waters of the state within one
marine league of the Oregon shore.
Faulty wording of the bill renders the
money set aside for the purpose un-
available. and the Fishermen's Protec-
tive Union has raised fund by private
subscription to hire men to shoot the
lions at their breeding grounds.
How many salmon each of these
monsters kills each day is purely mat
ter of conjecture, but instances are
known where single sea lion has kill
ed and eaten eighteen salmon within a
very few minutes, and it is certain tina.
many hundreds Of thousands of roya!
Chineek salmon are killed every year
by these pests. When fishing the lions
usually travel in groups of from six to
eight, end they will follow school Of
fish until they become quite dainty and
will take but one bite from the choicest
part of salmon, leaving the remainder
OF the fish to float ashore or to be de-
voured by the scavangers of the seas.
The lions vary in size, but when fully
grown average about 8 or 10 feet in
length, although specimens have bee ]
seen fully Is feet long and which would
weigh 1000 opunds.
1t is during the sumer months that
the lions do the greatest amount Ct
damage. They are numerous at many
places along the Pacific coast, but the '
favorite rendezvous appears to be in
the neighborhood of the mouth Of the
Columbia river. Thousands of them
congregate at Seal Rocks, few milas
south of the Tillamook Lighthouse, dur,
ing. the breeding season. These rocks
are situated we'll out from the beach
and can be reached only during the ex
IRENE low tides of the sumner month }
thus rendering the retreat of the hons
comparatively safe from attack excep'
during solated per; After lec-'1e
the rocks at the close Of the breeding
season the lions are even more voracious
than usual, and the schools of fish in
| that region of the ocean have shor
shrift. Numbers of the lions gather of
the mouth of the Columbia river, ard
the sands at the jetty are black with
them during the warm hours of the day
The huge mammals appear to be warn.
ed by instinct of the approach of
school of salmon, which is always the
signal for hurried putting to sea, and
before the return thousands of thu
choicest fish in the world have been de
voured or so badly mutilated that the!
will die. Commercially the sea lion!
are of little value, and not enough ca!
be realized from their sale to make tn
killing of them profitable. This, cou
pied with the extreme difficulty Of So
curing the carcasses of the animals. q
the lions take to the water as soon
they are shot, makes the hunting Q
them precarious means OF livlihoo
and renders it absolutely necessary tina
a bounty be paid if the lions are to b
exterminated, The hides, which weig'
when green about 70 pounds, sell +;
half a cent pound. The whiskers
the male sell for from 10 to 10 cents IL
the largest, which are from 10 to i
inches in length. Those Of the femal
are fewer in number and less valuable
hut longer. some reaching Is inches II
length.
| "A vast amount Of valuable fishing
gear is destroyed each year by til
lions. A big male lion, while in pur
suit of salmon, will become entangle'
in a gill net or trap, and before it ca
possibly be released will, by its despe'
ate lashings and biting, tear the We
into shreds. The amount of damag
done each season would be difficult
estimate, but it is certainly enormou:
and their utter determination at tn
least would be of untold benefit to tn
fishing industry Of the coast.-S'
Francisco Bulletin.
Pneumatic Cotton Picl .
The Rev. William H. Meyers, ke1