Marine mammal protection act

TO THE HONORABLE DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 1
AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF 2
REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF 3
THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL 4
PROTECTION AGENCY, AND TO THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 5
ADMINISTRATION: 6
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of 7
the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, 8
respectfully represent and petition as follows: 9
WHEREAS, Congress passed the Endangered Salmon Predation 10
Prevention Act in 2018 to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to 11
allow lethal removal of sea lions on a portion of the Columbia River 12
and these lethal removal efforts have begun to show signs of success; 13
and 14
WHEREAS, The Washington State Academy of Sciences studied policy 15
responses to increase salmon stocks and reported to the Washington 16
State Legislature in 2022 that current populations of pinnipeds are a 17
contributing factor in the decline and depression of salmon 18
populations in Washington state waters; and 19
WHEREAS, The Washington State Academy of Sciences recommended 20
that strategic and appropriately scaled adaptive management of 21
pinniped populations, including lethal removals, is a key tool that 22
could be expanded to improve salmon recovery; and 23
H-0713.1
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4004
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Chase, Nance, Dent, McClintock, Bernbaum, Engell,
Schmick, Orcutt, Springer, Marshall, Volz, Reeves, Jacobsen,
Parshley, Klicker, Eslick, and Schmidt
Read first time 02/03/25. Referred to Committee on Agriculture &
Natural Resources.
p. 1 HJM 4004
WHEREAS, State and tribal resource managers cannot use the 1
recommended management tools for salmon recovery without Congress 2
providing new flexibility under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that 3
extends beyond the segment of the Columbia River currently 4
authorized; 5
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress 6
modify the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow greater flexibility 7
for states and tribes to use adaptive management tools, including the 8
use of lethal removal, for pinniped predators of endangered salmon 9
stocks across all marine shorelines and the Puget Sound.10
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 11
transmitted to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United 12
States, the Director of the United States Environmental Protection 13
Agency, the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 14
Administration, the President of the United States Senate, the 15
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress 16
from the State of Washington. 17
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p. 2 HJM 4004