A spokesman for the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife told AFP the lethal removals of the California sea lions began in mid-December and would continue through May. "Our scientists believe that if these sea lions aren't removed, that run of steelhead could go extinct anytime," Swart said. "Two years ago, the sea lions destroyed 25 percent of that wild steelhead run," Swart added. "They killed about 512 fish and that represented about one fourth of all the fish that we had left." He said the state was authorized to kill up to 93 sea lions a year but he expected that no more than 40 would be removed this year.

Source: Philippine Star January 11, 2019 23:03 UTC