The Salmon Crisis: Should Lawmakers Auction Permits to Hunt Sea Lions?

By Derrich R. Stallings

The battle for the future of the Columbia River’s endangered fish species has taken a controversial turn. In December 2025, federal lawmakers began weighing a provocative new solution to protect dwindling salmon populations: auctioning permits to private citizens to hunt sea lions.

For decades, the Pacific Northwest has struggled to balance the recovery of iconic salmon runs with the surging population of sea lions. Now, a proposal to bring in private “volunteers” to do the work of state agencies is sparking a heated debate over conservation, costs, and ethics.

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The Predator Problem at Bonneville Dam

The core of the issue lies at “choke points” like the Bonneville Dam. Here, California and Steller sea lions congregate to feast on Chinook salmon and steelhead as they attempt to migrate upstream to spawn.

Wildlife officials report that a single sea lion can consume three to five salmon per day. With salmon populations teetering on the edge of extinction despite billions of dollars spent on habitat restoration, lawmakers argue that the current lethal removal programs—managed strictly by state and tribal agencies—are moving too slowly to make a difference.

Why Auction Permits?

During a December 2025 hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) raised the idea of a permit auction or lottery. The rationale behind the proposal is two-fold:

1. Astronomical Costs: It currently costs roughly $38,000 to remove a single sea lion. This includes the expense of trapping, transporting, and humanely euthanizing the animals by veterinarians.
2. Budget Shortfalls: Proponents argue that instead of taxpayers footing the bill, hunters would “pay good money” for the opportunity. This revenue could then be reinvested into salmon habitat restoration.

The Current Lethal Removal Numbers

Under a 2020 federal law, authorities are permitted to lethally remove up to 716 sea lions through 2030. However, as of late 2025, only 230 animals have been removed. Lawmakers describe the current process as “arduous” and “unnecessarily expensive,” leading to the push for private intervention.

The Ethical and Legal Minefield

The proposal faces significant hurdles, both legally and ethically:

• The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA): Sea lions have been protected under federal law since 1972. Allowing private citizens to hunt them would require a major shift in how the MMPA is applied.
• Humane Removal: Currently, sea lions are euthanized using medical chemicals to ensure no suffering. Critics of the auction proposal argue that private hunting could lead to “messy” kills and prolonged animal suffering, which could violate federal animal welfare standards.
• Safety Concerns: Discharging firearms in high-traffic river areas like the Columbia River raises significant public safety concerns for boaters and local residents.

What’s Next?

As of mid-December 2025, the permit auction remains a proposal under committee review. While it has gained traction among some frustrated Northwest lawmakers, it is expected to face fierce opposition from animal rights groups and legal challenges from conservationists who believe the focus should remain on dam breaching and habitat, not predator culling.

What do you think? Is auctioning permits a pragmatic way to save our salmon, or does it set a dangerous precedent for wildlife management?

Stay tuned for updates as this legislation moves through the House.