PORTLAND, Ore., March 3 (UPI) -- In an effort to sustain the threatened sturgeon population around Oregon's Bonneville Dam, wildlife workers have been attempting to drive away sea lions.
With sea lions becoming increasingly more adept at working together to capture the large fish, wildlife workers were forced Thursday to begin efforts to save the sturgeon, the Portland Oregonian said.
As part of those population control efforts, the workers have begun using explosives and rubber pellets to drive off the increasingly large sea lion population.
While the area was once a haven for a limited amount of sea lions who only hunted salmon, the growing number of the mammals and their newfound ability to hunt sturgeon has caused concern.
"They've got their mind on spawning and nothing else," Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife official Charlie Corrarino said of the big fish. "They become very susceptible to predation."
The paper said that to assist in the efforts, workers will now be allowed to enter into a restricted zone around the dam to help drive away the hungry animals.
