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Bonneville Sea Lion/Salmon Task Force Meets Oct. 24 by Henry Miller Statesman Journal, October 7, 2011

The Pinniped-Fishery Interaction Task Force (think sea lions and salmon at Bonneville Dam) will meet via conference call and an online feed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 24, and you can listen in and provide input.

The task force advises the federal NOAA Fisheries on the issue of California sea lions eating federally ESA-listed salmon and steelhead below the dam.

The meeting agenda, call-in number and web access information will be posted online on Wednesday.

To go to the site, which currently offers information such as a list of task force members and a timeline of significant developments surrounding the issue, click here. Time has been set aside during the teleconference for call-in comments or information from the public.

On Sept. 12, NOAA Fisheries accepted the joint application from Oregon, Idaho and Washington for a new authorization under Marine Mammal Protection Act Sec. 120.

If approved, the authorization again would allow the states to capture and kill individually identifiable sea lions eating salmon and steelhead at the dam.

The public comment period on the application closes Wednesday.

The Oct. 24 teleconference is to review the application and public comments.

The task force is composed of NOAA Fisheries staff, independent scientists, representatives from affected conservation and fishing communities, tribes, states and other interested parties.

The task force recommendation will will be used as a factor in the determination to approve or deny the states' application.