And you thought sea lions were just cute, smelly creatures who keep the tourists engaged at Fisherman's Wharf.. well think again because it appears the Sea Lions are declaring war on humans.
The San Luis Obispo Tribune reports sea lions are on the attack all up and down the West Coast.
The sea lions are a dilemma because tourists love to snap pictures of the playful seals as they bark and joust on docks. But the brown behemoths also commandeer boat landings, swamp skiffs and poop on sailboats.
This year at the port, they have damaged numerous boats, may have contributed to sinking three of them and seem to be losing their fear of humans, harbor Manager Steve McGrath said.
(snip)
Port San Luis’ sea lion problem mirrors a trend along the West Coast from Baja California to British Columbia, said Garth Griffin, supervisory fish-
eries biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Portland, Ore.
Sea lions are increasingly feasting on migrating salmon, raiding bait boats and making themselves at home on docks.
Fishermen also complain that sea lions and other seals are depleting fish stocks.
“There’s an upward trend of conflict,” Griffin said. “All of this is happening in a way that we are getting more and more complaints from more and more locations.”
Harbor managers and boat owners are frustrated, though, because they are constrained by federal law in the methods they can use to protect property from sea lions.
You can squirt water on them, shoot paintballs at them, scare them with loud noises and even prod them with a broomstick — if you dare get that close.
But you can’t do anything that could injure a sea lion.
Just wait until this war escalates and see if humans don't take the gloves off.
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