The digest is a roundup of news concerning fish and wildlife management in Washington and beyond.

Legislative Update

March 7, 2024 was the last day for bills to pass the Washington legislature this session. The following bills passed this session:

• Senate Bill 5931, which would designate salmon-killing 6PPD-quinone as a priority chemical and require the Washington Department of Ecology to identify significant sources of the chemical in consumer products every five years.
• House Bill 2293, which would establish a work group to make recommendations regarding how to curb avian predation of salmon. The substitute bill that passed the legislature has taken out all mention of “harvesting” supposedly “overpopulated” avian predators and has added a bird conservationist to the study’s working group. However, the legislature refused to make additional amendments that would have improved the bill by ensuring that the working group considers science, adding an orca conservation group to the committee, and requiring the consideration of nonlethal deterrents and mitigation measures.
• HB 2424, which instructs WDFW to engage in government-to-government communication with the Colville Tribes on wolf management after approval of a plan of engagement from the Commission. The substitute bill that passed the legislature removed the requirement to “align” state wolf policy in a large area of northeast Washington with the Colville Tribes’ wolf hunting policy. It also took out language praising the “success” of their management involving wolf hunting.
• HB 1153, prohibiting octopus farming within the state.

In addition, the operating budget includes $224,000 for a Community Bear Wise Assessments & Implementation Plan (see page 620, line 29). Homeowners and officers have been killing bears across the state, including females with cubs, due to conflicts over non-bear-safe garbage disposal. The assessment and implementation plan stipulated in the budget will be the first step in establishing a Bear Wise program.

Top Washington News

Cougars & Bears

Victim in cougar attack near Snoqualmie suffered ‘severe trauma to her face.’ KING 5. February 22, 2024.

• This article follows up on the cougar attack near Snoqualmie that left a Washington biker with severe injuries to her face and neck. The article does not explain that the cougar was a kitten. However, it notes that the “Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is submitting the dead cougar for examination at Washington State University to determine age, whether it had any disease and body condition.” It also includes excerpts from an interview with Josh Rosenau of the Mountain Lion Foundation, who explains that “a persistent research finding in Washington is that conflict with livestock or people increases in areas with more hunting or killing.” Finally, the article links to the victim’s GoFundMe.
• Callie Rhoades of the California paper The Oaklandside gives context on the rarity of cougar attacks; threats to cougar survival, including killing in response to livestock predation; and the species’ importance to the ecosystem. She quotes Mark Elbroch, director of Panthera’s Puma Program: “It’s that simple: living with mountain lions is actually healthier than living without them.”
• Northwest Sportsman reports that Washington State University has released lab results on the cougar, which it found to be in good health and 9-12 months old.
• An article from MeatEater (please note: graphic pictures of the dead cougar and the wounded person) contains speculation from Kalispel Tribe Natural Resources Wildlife Program Manager Bart George on the second cougar that the bikers reported seeing. Though the bikers say both cougars were “juveniles,” George says he believes the second cougar was likely the attacking cougar’s mother.

Wolves

In Washington, a missing wolf mystery baffles officials. Dawn Stover, The Columbia Insight.  February 26, 2024.

• The uncollared female from the Big Muddy pack has not been seen this winter. WDFW expected the Big Muddy pack, which was the first known wolf pack in the Southern Cascades and Northwest Coast recovery region, to produce pups, but the pack may no longer exist at all. Wolf specialist Ben Maletzke said that though there is a lot of “animosity” toward wolves in the region, there is no evidence of poaching.

Monthly Wolf Report – February 2024. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. March 6, 2024.

• WDFW reports no new known wolf fatalities this month. This post has news on collaring and other monitoring activities for all the packs in Washington (apart from those managed under tribal authority). It still lists the Big Muddy pack with no updates on the missing female wolf. (Update: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has killed two Grouse Flats wolves in March.)

Fish, Shellfish & Marine Mammals

Sen. Jeff Wilson amendment secures funds for sea lion predation. Mitchell Roland, The Chronicle. February 26, 2024.

• State Senator Jeff Wilson (R-19^th) introduced an amendment to the Senate state operating budget that would allocate $1.5 million to WDFW “to combat sea lion predation on the lower Columbia River.” Roland explains that “the funds in the state operating budget can be used to purchase the equipment needed to capture [a euphemism for ‘kill’] sea lions on shallower tributaries such as the Cowlitz River.” However, the current operating budget that passed the legislature now provides $470,000 per year to survey sea lion diets and identify nonlethal deterrents, with no mention of “capture” (see page 610, line 33).

More hatchery salmon cannot help endangered killer whales. Misty MacDuffee and Allison Dennert, Raincoast Conservation Foundation. February 15, 2024.

• The foundation, along with other salmon and killer whale conservation groups, submitted an amicus brief in support of the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC)’s lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service for relying on inadequate mitigation measures to address the southeast Alaska troll fishery’s effects on endangered Chinook salmon and killer whales. This article addresses the myth that increasing production of hatchery salmon helps critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
• ABC News released a video on WFC’s lawsuit featuring clips of Helverson and Dr. Deborah Giles of Wild Orca.

Murkowski calls proposed endangered listing for Alaska king salmon ‘wrongheaded.’ KCAW News. February 27, 2024.

• US Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has criticized WFC for its petition to list wild Chinook salmon under the federal Endangered Species Act.

It’s Time To Rethink Our Appetite For King Salmon. Claire Redden, Tasting Table. March 11, 2024.

• The writer describes the crisis facing Chinook (also known as king) salmon and the Southern Resident killer whales that depend on them, urging people to “think critically about the fish we consume.” She quotes Emma Helverson of WFC on balancing the economic impacts of potentially halting the southeast Alaska troll fishery with conservation needs: “We acknowledge this economic harm and we’re not belittling it. But extinction is what we’re trying to prevent here.”

Washington State Set To Ban Octopus Farming As Bill Heads To Governor Inslee’s Desk For His Significant [sic]. Karen Lapizco, World Animal News. March 4, 2024.

• House Bill 1153, a bill sponsored by Washington Representative Strom Peterson (D-21^st), has passed the house and is now awaiting the governor’s signature. Northwest Animal Rights Network, Animal Rights Initiative, and Pasado’s Safe Haven were among the groups championing the bill.

Other Washington Wildlife

Under pressure: Study analyzes how elk manage threats from predators, humans. Michael Wright, The Spokesman-Review. February 29, 2024.

• The University of Washington-WDFW predator-prey project group has published a study in Ecology on how wolves, cougars, and humans affect elk behavior. The study found that elk avoid cougar-frequented areas at night but alter their behavior very little during the day in response to cougar presence. However, they try to avoid wolves at any time of day and move closer to farms and other human structures at night. The study also found that humans caused around 80% of adult cow mortalities, making them possible “superpredators.”
• Northwest Sportsman also covers the study.

Vancouver group among those suing Washington over squirrel. Shari Phiel, The Columbian. March 6, 2024.

• Friends of the White Salmon River, WildEarth Guardians, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and the Vancouver Audubon Society have filed a lawsuit against the Washington Department of Natural Resources because it “failed to prepare and submit to the [Washington State Forest Practices Board] a proposed list of critical habitats” for the western gray squirrel within 30 days of its state endangered species act listing.

Other Washington Fish & Wildlife News

Fish & Marine Mammals

New “Whale Desk” Helps ships steer clear of Puget Sound Orcas and other whales. San Juan Islander. February 21, 2024.

Removing Washington salmon barriers surges to $1M a day, but results are murky. Mike Reicher, The Seattle Times (via Phys.org). March 11, 2024.

Lower spring Chinook limits on Columbia River tributaries upset anglers. Terry Otto, The Columbian. March 9, 2024.

Companies to pay for Duwamish salmon, wildlife habitat restoration. Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times. March 12, 2024.

OUTDOORS: Bottomfish limits, management topic of WDFW public meeting. Pierre LaBoissiere, Peninsula Daily News. March 12, 2024.

Other Wildlife

Why couldn’t the beaver cross the road? Because it was taken into custody by Bellingham police. Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest. March 4, 2024.

‘Everything lasted for 10 seconds’: Coyote attacks, kills dog in Magnolia neighborhood. David Detling, Fox 13 Seattle. March 9, 2024

Seattle Pet Owners Mourn Following Coyote Attacks, Call for Wildlife Management Solutions. Emily Tran, Hoodline. March 12, 2024.

How do wildlife fare in a mild winter? Michael Wright, The Spokesman-Review. March 11, 2024.

Notable Fish & Wildlife News from Around the World

Top Stories

Is Nevada’s Wildlife Commission on the brink of extinction? Dana Gentry, Nevada Current. March 12, 2024.

• This article covers backlash against the Nevada Wildlife Commission, which has approved of plans to kill 75% of wild burros and horses on state lands. The commission has also declined to consider banning coyote-killing contests. The Humane Society of the United States criticizes the commission for failing to represent the views of most Nevadans over special interests like ranchers and hunters. Dr. Donald Molde of the Nevada Wildlife Alliance, quoted in the article, calls the commission “the least democratic of all state boards or commissions which provide oversight to a public resource.”

Two Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners confirmed despite opposition from hunters, recreation groups. Jason Blevins, Colorado Sun. March 12, 2024.

• University of Denver Animal Law Program manager Jess Beaulieu and Urban Wildlife Rescue leader Jack Murphy received their confirmations from the Senate. A third commissioner nominated by Colorado Governor Jack Polis, Gary Skiba, resigned when the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted not to recommend him and Beaulieu for confirmation. Hunters and other consumptive groups have objected to the three appointees, claiming that their animal advocacy would keep them from representing hunters and anglers. Democrats in the Senate did not agree: “State Sen. Janice Marchman…read the top outdoor recreation activities listed in the 2019 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, noting that hiking, camping, fishing, wildlife viewing, picnicking and running all ranked above the state’s 18th most popular pursuit: hunting.”

First lynxes, then wolves. Now some want to reintroduce wolverines in Colorado. Miles, Blumhardt, The Coloradoan. March 8, 2024.

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and a “bipartisan group of legislators” have introduced a Senate Bill that, if passed, would allow CPW to reintroduce wolverines in the state. This article also covers efforts to reintroduce lynxes and the proposed ballot initiative to ban cougar and bobcat hunting and trapping.

Miami Seaquarium gets eviction notice after death of Lolita the orca. David Fischer and Frieda Frisaro, Seattle Times. March 7, 2024.

• The mayor of Miami-Dade County has terminated the lease of the Miami Seaquarium due to “decaying animal habitats, lack of veterinary staff and a lack of other experienced staff.” The Southern Resident killer whale Tokitae/Lolita spent most of her life in the Seaquarium and died in captivity before nonprofits could restore her to her Pacific Northwest home waters.

‘Huge Victory’ for Wildlife Celebrated by Animal Protection, Environmental Groups as Health Canada Announces Strychnine Poisoning Ban. Animal Justice. March 7, 2024.

• Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency will ban the use of strychnine to kill wildlife such as coyotes, black bears, and wolves. Strychnine also kills unintended victims such as companion animals, endangered species, and raptors.

Legislation would direct Mississippi to protect wildlife, corral commission. Hunter Cloud, The Daily Leader. January 18, 2024.

• Mississippi lawmakers have introduced legislation that would reform the state’s wildlife commission by expanding it and requiring it “to have at least two members who have a bachelors [sic] of science degree in wildlife biology, conservation research or management or have at least 10 years of experience working in wildlife biology, conservation, management or research.” Another bill would amend the Mississippi code to “protect and sustain” wildlife.

General Wildlife Management

Scientists say they’re closer to reviving mammoths. What could go wrong? Dino Grandoni, Washington Post. March 6, 2024.

Survey: Public Approval for Hunting Drops Sharply. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life. July 6, 2023.

Wolves

Wolf myth-busting with wildlife biologist Kevin Crooks. Amanda Horvath, PBS. March 7, 2024.

Counterpoint: Wolf hunting, trapping is unnecessary and very destructive (opinion). Maureen Hackett, Star Tribune. March 10, 2024.

Eastern wolves are isolated in Algonquin Provincial Park. Joshua Rapp Learn, The Wildlife Society. March 12, 2024.

Survey Finds Growing Tolerance Among Montanans for Wolves. University of Montana College of Forestry and Conservation. January 11, 2024.

Cougars

Forensics shows Banff cougar attack didn’t happen. Cathy Ellis, Rocky Mountain Outlook. March 7, 2024.

Fish & Marine Mammals

Commercial fishing practice releases significant amounts of CO2. Georgina Gustin, Inside Climate News. January 18, 2024.

Pacific Council releases alternatives for 2024 West Coast Ocean Salmon Fisheries. Pacific Fishery Management Council (via Tillamook Herald). March 11, 2024.

On the Lighter Side

The wild true stories behind the 21 funniest animal photos of all time: ‘It only lasted half a second, but I was ready.’ Cal Flyn, The Guardian. December 9, 2023.