Marine Mammal Predation - Shaun Clements - Brandon Chasco
For those of you who chase coastal #steelhead, you know first hand what these apex predators can do to wild steelhead and #salmon populations. You’ve seen the torn up carcases, bite and claw marks up close and personal. In this episode we sit down with two #fisheries experts in Oregon - the literal front line of this often divisive issue. Brandon Chasco is one of NOAA’s (@noaafisheries) quantitative ecologists working on interactions between fisheries and protected species up and down the Western United States. Shaun Clements holds a Ph.D. in Fisheries Science/Physiology from OSU (@odfwnfip). He oversees 10-15 projects in and around Oregon focused on delisting/down-listing of #ESA listed species, recovering sensitive species, developing monitoring techniques, addressing management questions, and developing management plans. Both men are well versed in all things related to #pinniped #predation and mitigation. These experts answer the question, are sea lions TRULY making a dent in salmon and steelhead populations? If they are, then how do we proceed? What is the timeline? Are we past the point of no return?