Final Report: Willamette Falls Pinniped-Fishery Interaction Task Force, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Section 120

Regarding Section 120(d)(a)’s consideration, the Task Force discussed concerns over the numbers of CSLs at the Falls from year to year. At least 40 unique individuals have been documented in a single day at Willamette Falls (in 2017). However, the maximum number of CSLs that forage at Willamette Falls (40~100 individuals) is difficult to determine given many animals are unmarked and monitoring is limited in time and space. One member of the Task Force felt the open-ended nature of the Willamette Falls system will result in continued influx of animals, while most members felt this was a separate issue only clarified once removal actions occurred. Some Task Force members also expressed opinions that this new application reflects the lessons learned at Bonneville Dam where ongoing removal efforts have prevented an increase in CSL presence, but have not been of sufficient magnitude to reduce social transmission by completely removing the resident pool of animals. 2018 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) Submitted Public Domain 1862