"Please, if you care about the sea lions, write and call Senator Wyden now, and demand that he stop scapegoating sea lions for the decline of salmon. If sea lions are responsible for '2.1%' predation on salmon, as Senator Wyden suggests, then there is a long line of culprits who need to be addressed way before killing sea lions can even be considered. As I reported in my previous article, the dams themselves are responsible for a full 75% mortality rate among salmon trying to pass through them to the sea. They, of all factors, are responsible for the waning runs. Fishermen, too, are responsible for a much higher percentage of salmon mortality than sea lions."