West
Apex predator threatening Northwest salmon sparks rare bipartisan push to ‘kill more’
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An apex predator threatening a key sector in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is now the unlikely source of a bipartisan alliance in the House of Representatives.
Sea lions and their impact on salmon are a growing issue for Washington state, according to Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.
“There’s a wall that stops the two parties from meeting in the middle on a lot of issues,” Gluesenkamp Perez told Fox News Digital. “Most of the time, you have to go brick by brick to tear it down. Every now and then, you can chuck a 2,500-pound sea lion at it.”
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California sea lions, apex predators, are posing an issue for salmon and steelhead trout populations in the Pacific Northwest. (Janet Jensen/Tacoma News Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The California sea lion population has boomed, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972. It’s now posing a threat to already endangered native fish species in Washington State.
Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has deemed sea lions a “serious threat” to Columbia River salmon and steelhead trout.
Both types of fish are key to the state’s culture, economy and natural ecosystems.
“Salmon are a huge deal in Washington State. We have extensive salmon-bearing rivers that have historical cultural significance to our Native American tribes, a lot of interest and economic activity with sports fishermen, and our rivers are also the site of really important hydroelectric dams,” Baumgartner told Fox News Digital.
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Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., attends a hearing on Feb. 5, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“There are now huge numbers of sea lions in a far disproportionate amount to any sort of historical numbers that sit at the mouth of the Columbia River … and eat salmon all day. They have a huge impact on the number of salmon.”
Gluesenkamp Perez said action to reduce the invasive sea lion population is “exactly the type of real-world problem that Americans want Congress to be able to solve.”
“Many of my colleagues love to put their partisan blinders on, but it’s hard for even them to ignore their eyes when they see a sedan-sized pinniped snarfing up the salmon and steelhead that many of our communities depend on,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.
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Baumgartner called for “broader latitude” for “more aggressive sea lion management techniques.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., walks up the House steps for the final votes in the Capitol before Congress’ October recess, Sept. 25, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
A subcommittee panel on the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing earlier this month on sea lion predation in the Pacific Northwest. Both Baumgartner and Gluesenkamp Perez participated.
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“Save more salmon, shoot more sea lions,” Baumgartner posted on X days after the hearing.
Gluesenkamp Perez compared the size of the Steller sea lion, another species threatening fish in the area, to a Toyota Corolla during the hearing.
“Southwest Washington has a serious predatory pinniped problem — tens of thousands of massive invasive sea lions are venturing further and further up the Columbia River and its tributaries to gorge on our local salmon. I’m pushing to explore more effective lethal removal options,” she posted on X.
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Diyar Guldogan
14 July 2026•Update: 14 July 2026
A US Air Force helicopter made a precautionary landing in northwest Washington, DC late Monday, local media reported.
The incident occurred at approximately 9.25 p.m. (0125GMT Tuesday) when a UH-1N Huey helicopter assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland landed along Foxhall Road near Whitehaven Parkway NW, close to the Georgetown Reservoir.
All four crew members who were on board are safe, according to media reports.
Maintenance personnel and law enforcement officials remained at the scene into the early hours of Tuesday as authorities assessed the aircraft and investigated the circumstances surrounding the landing.
A vegetation fire was burning in northern Napa County Monday afternoon northeast of Angwin.
Cal Fire said the Hardin Fire began at about 2:40 p.m. in the area of Hardin Road and Pope Canyon Road, east of Chiles Pope Valley Road.
The fire had burned 55 acres as of 3 p.m.
A status report at 3:45 p.m. said that crews were making good progress on the fire and that there were no evacuation orders at this time.
As of 5:10 p.m. forward progress of the fire had been stopped, and containment was at 35%.
The cause was under investigation.
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