Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Speaker, the Pacific Northwest is facing an unprecedented and growing problem of sea lions who are decimating our endangered salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.

Right now, in front of my district office in Oregon City, there are 24 sea lions sitting at the base of Willamette Falls gorging themselves on the spring salmon run. This is 127 miles from the Pacific Ocean, their natural habitat.

This salmon buffet of endangered fish costs Northwest ratepayers nearly $1 billion a year: a third of our electric bill.

We need to pass H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, now. I introduced this bill, along with my Northwest colleague, Jaime Herrera Beutler.

It will provide Oregon and Washington wildlife managers with the tools they need, that they requested, to quickly act to remove problem sea lions to protect these endangered fish.

If we don't act now, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says that there is a 90 percent chance the Willamette winter steelhead run will go extinct in the next few years.

Mr. Speaker, it would be unconscionable to let this happen. We know the problem, and it is identified. Let's take action.

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