Motion: Protecting Marine Mammals
- Jennifer Hrachovec
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Last updated 2/26/2026
At the February 19, 2026 V-MCC meeting, Joe Yarkin introduced a motion on behalf of Save Our Seals. Discussion and voting will be on the agenda for the March 19 Vashon-Maury Community Council Meeting. See below for more details.
We ask that the Vashon-Maury Community Council consider the motion to oppose House Joint Memorial HJM 4004 and Senate Joint Memorial SJM 8013 currently under consideration in the Washington State Legislature and any future legislation allowing large scale pinniped killing. These memorials urge Congress to weaken the landmark Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) by easing restrictions on the lethal removal of pinnipeds—including California sea lions and harbor seals and Salmon eating migratory birds (SJM 8013)—across Washington’s marine waters, Puget Sound, beyond current limited authorizations (such as near the Ballard Locks or Columbia River bottlenecks during salmon runs).
Proponents argue that these changes would provide “greater flexibility” for states and tribes to use adaptive management tools, including lethal takings, to reduce predation on endangered Chinook salmon and support commercial fisheries. However, environmental organizations representing a broad range of Washingtonians—including groups focused on wildlife conservation, marine ecosystems, and salmon recovery—strongly contend that the underlying science does not support this approach. Studies and expert analyses show that culling pinnipeds would have negligible or no meaningful positive effect on Chinook populations, while diverting attention from the primary human-caused drivers of salmon decline: habitat loss, dams, overfishing (including in ocean waters despite restrictions on endangered runs), pollution, and hatchery mismanagement.
Key complicating factors include:
Transient orcas already consume over 1,000 harbor seals annually, plus an unknown number of sea lions, demonstrating that natural predation is part of a balanced ecosystem.
Seals and sea lions maintain varied diets, often consuming fish species that themselves prey on juvenile salmon—removing pinnipeds could disrupt this predation chain and indirectly harm salmon.
Illegal killing of seals and sea lions already occurs at significant but unquantified levels in Washington waters, raising ethical and enforcement concerns.
Historical attempts to control apex predators for ecosystem “balance” (such as wolf culling) have rarely succeeded and often produce unintended negative consequences, as seen in cases like Yellowstone National Park.
Vashon-Maury Island, surrounded by Puget Sound waters rich in marine life—including important habitats for salmon smolts, forage fish, eelgrass beds, and migratory species—has a direct stake in preserving healthy, intact ecosystems. Weakening federal protections for sentient, intelligent marine mammals would set a dangerous precedent, scapegoat wildlife for human-induced problems, and undermine long-term salmon recovery efforts.
Therefore, the Vashon-Maury Community Council respectfully urges the Washington State Senate to reject SJM 8013 (and any companion measures), calls on our state representatives to oppose further advancement of these memorials, and encourages community members to contact legislators in opposition to expanded pinniped lethal removal.
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