Aggressive Sea Lions Are Seen as Threat to Harbor

Sea lions were once nearly wiped out, but today the species is regarded as a threat in the coastal town of Moss Landing.

When salmon season rolls around, large groups of sea lions haul out onto the docks at Moss Landing Harbor, sometimes damaging the docks, grabbing fish out of the hands of fishermen and biting people. “What I’m afraid of is that they’re going to wait until a child gets killed before they do anything,” said harbormaster Linda McIntyre.

Because the sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, there isn’t much residents and officials can do to tame aggressive animals. Harbor workers have tried using sprinklers and loud noises to scare off the animals.

A move is on to change federal law to allow the elimination of aggressive sea lions. Animal conservation groups say that’s a bad idea because the species was almost hunted to extinction.