The Seal Lion and the Girl

These are not native beasts to our river, they have been lured in by poor practice of the commercial fishing fleet and the tourists on the docks and really no different than garbage dump bears IMO
I thought they came north to feed on Oolichans, liked the neighbourhood and stayed.

FWIW-there is No Fish Cleaning by the commercials on that dock they sell pre-cleaned fish only some head on some head off and they aren't allowed to fillet fish for customers that will get them thrown off the float.

Agree on the Bear analogy.
 
I thought they came north to feed on Oolichans, liked the neighbourhood and stayed.
FWIW-there is No Fish Cleaning by the commercials on that dock they sell pre-cleaned fish only some head on some head off and they aren't allowed to fillet fish for customers that will get them thrown off the float.

.
Perhaps seasonally they show up for oolichans and other large runs but if there was no constant food source they would have buggered off

Yes the majority follow the rules........but they clean and prep catch all the way to the dock, baiting all the way.

Not all users follow the rules and that goes for the recreational guys also.

To me its the same as the feeding stations (unattended native gill nets) all the way up the river, they just lure in animals for an easy meal.

I wonder the parents/guardians of that little little girl would have allowed her to be that close to a wild bear/couger/wilderbeast/whatever and think theres no risk?

Do you think they learned anything?
 
I agree the animal needs to be put down like a bear or any other predator would be once they crossed the line.

Maybe time to pack a herring full of pest poison (wolf) and give it a treat.

Next time a little kid won't be so lucky...
 
'Unbelievable': Dozens swarm dock where sea lion grabbed girl, despite warnings
Tourists and locals clamber for a look at now 'infamous' animal, harbour authority says
CBC News Posted: May 22, 2017 4:17 PM PT Last Updated: May 22, 2017 4:20 PM PT

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Children stood at the front of the crowd to watch the sea lion as it swam up and down the dock's edge. (Christer Waara/CBC)

On Saturday, a girl was yanked off a dock in Richmond, B.C. by a California sea lion. Moments before, her family had thrown bread to the animal.

Video of the incident has been viewed more than 14 million times. Marine experts and port officials have sent out a slew of warnings, reminding the public to keep a safe distance from the animals.

However, many near the area seem to be doing just the opposite.

On Monday, the Steveston Fisherman's Wharf was packed with cellphone-wielding tourists and locals trying to catch a glimpse of the celebrity sea lion. Children leaned over the dock's edge, craning for a look.

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Those on the wharf told CBC News they felt safe so long as they kept their distance. (Christer Waara/CBC)

Bob Baziuk, general manager for Steveston Harbour Authority, said he's flabbergasted.

"Unbelievably, last night there were about 100 people down there, mostly tourists, maybe some of them locals, picking up their kids and holding them over the water looking for the infamous sea lion," he told CBC News on Monday.

"Sometimes you gotta give your head a shake," he added. "Steveston's going to become synonymous with the 'Jaws' theme pretty soon. You have a hungry animal and these people are dumb enough to feed it."

One tourist at the dock on Monday told the CBC she and her grandchildren had come down to the wharf with hopes of seeing the animal.

"We've come to see the sights and we heard about the big sea lion," the Ontario woman said, adding she hadn't seen the viral video first hand.



Male California sea lions weigh more than 270 kilograms and can swim at speeds of up to 40 km/h. When sitting on land, they're about 1.8 metres (6 feet) tall.

Bacteria in the animals' mouths "can cause very serious infections that may lead to amputation of a limb or even death."

Experts with the Vancouver Aquarium have warned that the animals could "absolutely jump up" on a dock if they want to.

"We need to make sure we're giving these animals the space they need ... don't habituate them. Let them be wild animals," said Danielle Hyson, a marine mammal trainer.

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The sea lion seemed unbothered by all the attention. (Christer Waara/CBC)

New signs appeared on the dock Saturday, warning people not to feed the sea lions. The posters say the maximum penalty for "disturbing" a marine mammal is $100,000.

Baziuk said the authority is looking at printing signs in more languages — such as Mandarin and Cantonese — to ensure tourists understand. Posters with a universal image are also being considered.



Still, he's frustrated things have gotten this far.



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"I could put a massive sign up in every language, but to me it's the element of common sense."

"With all of this that's happened, I want to take advantage of the media coverage to get the message out there: For crying out loud, use common sense when you're around creatures and the water in general — respect it."
Just put up a sign elsewhere saying "free salt"!
 
Aggressive sea lion forces closure of Powell River fish cleaning stations
'It was a little too close,' city manager says
CBC News Posted: May 30, 2017 3:51 PM PT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/aggressive-sea-lion-powell-river-1.4138164
A little too close is an understatement . They arent kidding when they say 2 or 3 feet from people. I had to jump back into my boat a couple times while spraying it off because the thing would swim up behind you and bark.
 
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