As It Was in 1928: Coastal Newspaper Editor Opposes Killing Sea Lions

On July 24, 1928, the editor of Port Orford News, George Sorenson, called for the end to wanton hunting of sea lions. The misguided carnage had been ongoing for a quarter century, and in 1928 hunters received a $10 bounty for each sea lion scalp. Sorenson urged determination of whether the sea lions should be killed to protect salmon fishing or protected as natural tourist attractions on the Oregon Coast.  The media crusade to end the carnage persisted, support grew, and the state responded by reducing the bounty to 50 cents. By 1930, the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries had determined that the sea lions did not hurt commercial salmon populations. Audio, >click to read<10:00

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