Meanwhile, this bumper sticker is a common sight on rigs owned by commercial salmon fishermen in the area:
And shot sea lions are a common sight on beaches off the Oregon/Washington coast:
_____________________
From Sea Lion Defense Brigade:
In loving memory of the 3 sea lions KILLED this week at Bonneville Dam by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
These scapegoated sea lions had nothing to do with the decline of salmon and were taken from their friends and family way too soon.
Humans have many food options, sea lions do not.
Rest in Peace C020, C029 and C930.
We serve in your memory.
Exposing the Big Game 
Thank you for drawing attention to this, Jim. Last fall, we passed through Astoria, and found some of the branded sea lions on the docks (the branding operations weren’t going on at that time). We talked to several people in nearby shops who expressed such hatred for the animals and spewed such misinformation, I swore I’d never return to Astoria. I realize not everyone who lives there shares these sentiments, but you’d think the citizens would understand (or care) what a wretched image this creates for their town.
Up the coast, you’re so right, the circle-slash-sea-lion sticker was present on many truck windows … usually accompanied by a Ducks Unlimited sticker and other hunting paraphernalia. It’s amazing how effectively people continue to be manipulated by the rhetoric — and so unbearably tragic how wild animals suffer again and again for this scapegoating.
So true Ingrid. I wish the town would here more sentiment like this: “We talked to several people in nearby shops who expressed such hatred for the animals and spewed such misinformation, I swore I’d never return to Astoria. I realize not everyone who lives there shares these sentiments, but you’d think the citizens would understand (or care) what a wretched image this creates for their town.”
I was cognizant of being a visitor so I didn’t seek to antagonize. We barely got out a sentence, “we came by to look at the sea lions …” when the first proprietor we encountered at a coffee shop up the street laid into us about these “vile” creatures. Her invective degraded from there, and I chose not to engage it because I didn’t see any proactive reason to. I’ve mentioned the negativity of our experience previously, but I should write a letter where it could potentially do some good. Any suggestions?
I would say this is unbelievable, but I’ve seen that kind of attitudes and invective both there for sea lions and in Alaska regarding wolves. When I talked to one shop owner about the draw the wolves would create among wildlife watchers, she followed us out into the street screaming her hate speech. A letter from you on this to the Daily Astorian or Oregonian would be great, Ingrid!
Please boycott the consumption of salmon and of all animals/animal products all of the time. The fish suffer, too, of course. Animals other than seals are also killed because people eat fish. For example: “Hundreds of thousands of dolphins, whales, sharks, sea birds, sea turtles and fish needlessly die each year as a result of indiscriminate fishing gear,” explained Amanda Keledjian, a marine scientist with Oceana who authored a report, that was released in March, that addressed the matter. More information can be found at http://www.FishFeel.org
You’re right Mary, killing fish by the ton is the most out of control atrocity against animals going on in the world today. Unfortunately, for some reason, many people can’t relate to fish as fellow sentient beings. This call for a boycott speaks to those people who would only quit eating fish if they knew what was happening to marine mammals. Right now the Sea Lion Defense Brigade is seeing hooked sea lions trailing fishing gear, or entangled in other garbage, in addition to being braded and killed for eating fish, their only food source.
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