Where To Put The Birds? Research Says Cormorants Chased Off Columbia River Estuary Island Eat Far More Salmon, Steelhead Upstream
November 16th, 2022
Double-crested cormorants will eat many times more salmon and steelhead per bird as a proportion of their diet the farther they are pushed upstream in the Columbia River estuary, according to a presentation this week at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Committee meeting.
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Efforts Under NOAA Permit To Remove, Euthanize Salmon-Eating Sea Lions In Columbia, Willamette Rivers Showing Promising Results
July 28th, 2022
A recent report on pinniped predation shows that the presence of California sea lions at Bonneville Dam has declined significantly since 2015 when 195 of the marine mammals were observed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the dam’s tailraces. The number in 2021 was just 24.
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Bursting Myths, Wishful Thinking Over Allowing Wolves To Return To Traditional Landscapes
July 7th, 2022
In a new finding that goes against current conservation paradigms, re-introducing wolves and other predators to our landscapes does not miraculously reduce deer populations, restore degraded ecosystems or significantly threaten livestock, according to a new study.
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Salmon Predation In The North Pacific: UW Study Shows How Salmon Group Size Affects Predation Risk, Foraging Success
June 30th, 2022
Animals that live in groups tend to be more protected from predators. That idea might be common sense, but it’s difficult to test for some species, especially for wild populations of fish that live in the ocean.
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WSU Researchers Develop Drone System To Chase Off Pest Birds: ‘We Could Make Drones Look Like Predators’
June 8th, 2022
In the future, cameras could spot blackbirds feeding on grapes in a vineyard and launch drones to drive off the avian irritants, then return to watch for the next invading flock. All without a human nearby.
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Whack-A-Mole: Agency That Chased Salmon-Eating Cormorants Off Estuary Island Now Hazing Re-Located Birds On Astoria Bridge Over Columbia River
March 10th, 2022
The same federal agency that previously had hazed and culled Caspian terns and double-crested cormorants at East Sand Island in the lower Columbia River estuary in order to reduce predation on salmon and steelhead smolts is now hazing cormorants nesting on the Astoria-Megler Bridge six miles upstream.
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Suppression Of Northern Pike In Lake Roosevelt Showing Much Success; Goal Is To Reduce Population To ‘Almost Undetectable Levels’
February 17th, 2022
An effort by tribes, the state of Washington and federal agencies to suppress or eradicate invasive Northern Pike is bearing fruit in Lake Roosevelt, the reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam, according to an update by biologists at this week’s meeting of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Committee.
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European Green Crab Invasion In Washington Worsens: Researchers Using E-DNA To Contain, Prevent New Outbreaks
February 17th, 2022
European green crabs feast on shellfish, destroy marsh habitats by burrowing in the mud and obliterate valuable seagrass beds. The invasive species also reproduces quickly, making it a nightmare for wildlife managers seeking to control its spread in Washington’s marine waters.
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Task Force Considers Sea Lion Removal At Bonneville Dam A Success; In 15 Years 214 Euthanized, 56,000 Salmon/Steelhead Avoid Predation
January 13th, 2022
NOAA Fisheries and its Pinniped Task Force closed a chapter of its program to lethally remove California sea lions from Bonneville Dam. Determining that the removal of the sea lions saved nearly 56,000 adult salmon and steelhead, the Task Force called the 15-year effort a success.