Animals: Sea Lions

The Canadian coast patrol boat Givenchy landed at Nanaimo, B.C. last week with the laconic statement that, for the benefit of fishermen, 2,200 sea lions had been killed during a three-week cruise. The Givenchy’?, crew used rifles (borrowed from the Navy) instead of machine guns, because a certain amount of sharpshooting is necessary. The carcasses were left where they fell.

Sea lion lovers on the Pacific Coast were further horrified last week when California’s Governor Frank Finley Merriam signed a law providing that the Fish & Game Commission be “empowered to reduce the seal or sea lion herds by humane methods whenever such a course is deemed advisable, and to sell the animals, the pelts or carcasses. . . .” But reassurance came when it appeared that the Commission had no intention of using its destructive powers for several years, until the herds had increased to the point where control measures are necessary. The amendment also tightened the restrictions against killing or capturing the animals anywhere along the coast, whereas formerly only a few districts were protected.

Sea lions belong to the family Otariidae. The two species found off California are Steller’s sea lion (Eumetopias jubata) and the California sea lion (Zalophns californianus). All trained ”’seals” in circuses are actually sea lions. True seals, which belong to the family Phocidae cannot be taught to toss or juggle a ball. California sea lions make the best circus performers; the Stellers are too big, too pugnacious. An adult Steller bull weighs 1,500 to 2,000 lb., a cow up to 1,000 lb. California bulls weigh up to 1,000 lb., the cows up to 700.

First white invaders of California found huge herds of sea lions on almost every rock. After 1860 the creatures were killed by thousands for their hides and oil. Soon it became unprofitable to hunt them and by the turn of the century they were on the increase again. Fishermen claimed that they ate great quantities of salmon and damaged many nets. Zoologists doubted this. One professor opened a number of sea lion stomachs, found nothing but squid. Fishermen were in the saddle, however, and forced the Fish & Game Commission to start slaughtering. In 1909 some measure of protection was provided, but sporadic killing continued, many animals were taken for zoos and circuses, and hundreds of bulls were slaughtered every year for their genitalia from which Chinese manufacturers make a compound supposed to rejuvenate old men. The last census recorded only 6,363 Steller sea lions and 941 Californias.

There is no doubt that sea lions eat a few salmon, damage a few nets. But the California Fish & Game Commission now believes that they do much more good than harm because they eat valueless and destructive fish such as morays, squid, octopi, dogfish, deepwater crabs. The Commission also believes that there are enough natural checks to keepsea lions from, increasing too fast. It takes six weeks for the pups to learn to swim, and many are drowned before they learn. Others are trampled to death by careless parents. Killer whales and sharks eat sea lions young and old. One big killer whale’s stomach, when opened, was found to contain the remains of eight sea lions.