一种威胁美国西北太平洋地区关键产业的顶级掠食者，如今却出人意料地成为众议院两党合作的契机。
华盛顿州共和党众议员迈克尔·鲍姆加特纳和民主党众议员玛丽·格卢森坎普·佩雷斯表示，海狮对鲑鱼的影响已成为该州日益严峻的问题。
格卢森坎普·佩雷斯（Gluesenkamp Perez）向福克斯数字新闻表示：“在许多议题上，两党之间横亘着一堵高墙，阻碍他们达成共识。大多数时候，你只能一块砖一块砖地拆除它。但偶尔，你也可以朝它扔一只2500磅重的海狮。”
得益于1972年颁布的《海洋哺乳动物保护法案》，加利福尼亚海狮的数量激增。如今，它们对华盛顿州本已濒危的本地鱼类构成了威胁。
华盛顿州鱼类和野生动物保护部门认为，海狮对哥伦比亚河的鲑鱼和虹鳟鱼构成了"严重威胁"。
这两种鱼类对该州的文化、经济和自然生态系统都至关重要。
鲑鱼在华盛顿州具有极其重要的地位。我们拥有众多孕育鲑鱼的河流，这些河流对美洲原住民部落具有历史文化意义，同时也吸引了大量休闲垂钓者并带动相关经济活动。此外，这些河流上还建有非常重要的水电站大坝，"鲍姆加特纳向福克斯数字新闻表示。
如今，哥伦比亚河河口聚集着数量异常庞大的海狮，其规模远超历史任何时期。它们终日以鲑鱼为食，对鲑鱼种群数量造成了巨大影响。
格鲁森坎普·佩雷斯表示，减少入侵海狮数量的行动"正是美国民众希望国会能够解决的实际问题"。
格卢森坎普·佩雷斯表示："我的许多同僚总爱戴着党派偏见的眼罩看问题，但即便是他们，当看到一头轿车大小的鳍足类动物狼吞虎咽地吃掉我们众多社区赖以生存的三文鱼和硬头鳟时，也很难对此视而不见。"
鲍姆加特纳呼吁在"更具侵略性的海狮管理技术"上给予"更广泛的自由度"。
美国众议院自然资源委员会下属的一个小组委员会本月早些时候就太平洋西北部海狮捕食问题举行了听证会。鲍姆加特纳和格鲁森坎普·佩雷斯均出席了会议。
听证会结束数日后，鲍姆加特纳在社交平台X上发文称：“拯救更多鲑鱼，射杀更多海狮。”
格鲁森坎普·佩雷斯在听证会上将斯特勒海狮（该地区另一种威胁鱼类的物种）的体型比作丰田卡罗拉轿车。
华盛顿州西南部正面临严重的鳍足类掠食动物问题——数以万计的大型入侵海狮正不断深入哥伦比亚河及其支流，大肆捕食当地鲑鱼。我在X平台上发文呼吁探索更有效的致命性清除方案。
An apex predator threatening a key sector in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is now the unlikely source of a bipartisan alliance in the House of Representatives.
Sea lions and their impact on salmon are a growing issue for Washington state , according to Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.
"Theres a wall that stops the two parties from meeting in the middle on a lot of issues," Gluesenkamp Perez told Fox News Digital. "Most of the time, you have to go brick by brick to tear it down. Every now and then, you can chuck a 2,500-pound sea lion at it."
The California sea lion population has boomed, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972. It's now posing a threat to already endangered native fish species in Washington State.
Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife has deemed sea lions a "serious threat" to Columbia River salmon and steelhead trout.
Both types of fish are key to the state's culture, economy and natural ecosystems.
"Salmon are a huge deal in Washington State. We have extensive salmon-bearing rivers that have historical cultural significance to our Native American tribes, a lot of interest and economic activity with sports fishermen, and our rivers are also the site of really important hydroelectric dams," Baumgartner told Fox News Digital.
"There are now huge numbers of sea lions in a far disproportionate amount to any sort of historical numbers that sit at the mouth of the Columbia River and eat salmon all day. They have a huge impact on the number of salmon."
Gluesenkamp Perez said action to reduce the invasive sea lion population is "exactly the type of real-world problem that Americans want Congress to be able to solve."
"Many of my colleagues love to put their partisan blinders on, but its hard for even them to ignore their eyes when they see a sedan-sized pinniped snarfing up the salmon and steelhead that many of our communities depend on," Gluesenkamp Perez said.
Baumgartner called for "broader latitude" for "more aggressive sea lion management techniques."
A subcommittee panel on the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing earlier this month on sea lion predation in the Pacific Northwest. Both Baumgartner and Gluesenkamp Perez participated.
"Save more salmon, shoot more sea lions," Baumgartner posted on X days after the hearing.
Gluesenkamp Perez compared the size of the Steller sea lion, another species threatening fish in the area, to a Toyota Corolla during the hearing.
"Southwest Washington has a serious predatory pinniped problem tens of thousands of massive invasive sea lions are venturing further and further up the Columbia River and its tributaries to gorge on our local salmon. I'm pushing to explore more effective lethal removal options," she posted on X.
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