The town of Astoria in Oregon used a fake orca to scare away hundreds of sea lions that crowd its docks and eat salmon that commercial fishers try to catch. Unfortunately, the effort failed on Thursday when the fiberglass watercraft capsized on its way to the docks where a large number of sea lions gather.
The motorized boat, named "Island," initially appeared to be a good idea as the sea lions got silent when the bogus killer whale came into their view. Unfortunately, a cargo ship passed by and swamped the fake orca.
Sea lions have been causing problems in Astoria and for commercial fishers because they prevent boaters from using the docks, damage the docks and eat a great deal of salmon. Without the fake orca, 400 to 500 sea lions could be around on Thursday morning.
Because orcas are the natural predators of sea lions, it was hoped that the machine could get the seals to find less threatening areas to lounge. Just like killer whales, Island spouts water and comes with speakers playing sounds typically made by orcas that are on the hunt.
Thursday's launch was already delayed by engine troubles and ended with the boat tipping over. The fake orca was then towed away, and the effort was called off, albeit temporarily.
Port of Astoria Executive Director Jim Knight said that there is a possibility that they will try the motorized whale again on Friday. Meanwhile, officials needed to find a replacement motor for the whale replica, which belongs to a whale-watching business.
"We simply don't have the financial resources to build barriers. We have no choice but to look for very creative and low-cost solutions," Knight said.
Sea lions are typically seasonal visitors of Astoria, whose population depends heavily on fishing for livelihood. Instead of staying in the area only for the winter, though, the animals seem to have moved in permanently this year.
Some scientists believe the animals may have been driven to Astoria while searching for food. Local officials complain that the sea lions are messy and loud. They also eat the fish that many people rely on for their living, so it was decided to use a fake orca to scare them away.
Knight said that the presence of a large number of sea lions threatens the local fishing industry and that there are thousands of jobs at risk in the community.
Photo: Tony Fischer | Flickr
