Bill > HJM4004

This Joint Memorial respectfully requests that Congress amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to grant states and tribes more authority to manage marine mammal populations, specifically pinnipeds (which include sea lions and seals), that prey on endangered salmon. The memorial highlights that existing laws, like the Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2018, have shown success in allowing lethal removal of sea lions in a specific part of the Columbia River, and that scientific studies, including one by the Washington State Academy of Sciences, indicate that managing pinniped populations, potentially through lethal means, is a crucial strategy for recovering declining salmon stocks. The core request is for Congress to expand this flexibility beyond the current authorized area to include all marine shorelines and the Puget Sound, enabling state and tribal resource managers to implement these recommended tools for salmon recovery.