Smalma, when discussing the impact of pinnipeds in general and seals specifically to Chinook returns the use of the word "only" when describing a 1-2% of their entire annual diet is misleading. Being highly mobile and opportunistic predators they will go "where the livin' is easy" to quote from a song's verse. As I recall the seals' recent impact was estimated at just over 26% of outbound Chinook smolt against an estimated Chinook smolt population of over 46MM. Do the math.

However, I do agree with you that with Chinook smolt representing only 1-2% of annual diet those seal numbers are probably not being limited by Chinook smolt but, rather, by those other prey species you mentioned not the least of which is forage fish.

At the Commission meeting on Friday I sat next to a young woman who was there to testify against seal culling as she said she had proof that culling in other areas did not achieve the intended goal. I responded with the "Okay, if not predator control then what?" Among her suggestions was increasing forage fish habitat. But would that really solve the problem? Would an increase in forage fish shift seal predation away from Chinook smolt or would it result in increasing the carrying capacity within Puget Sound for all of those predators for which forage fish is the limiting factor thereby allowing an increase in the total numbers of those predators to include seals. And if the total number of seals is increased would that result in an increase in their current 26% impact on Chinook smolt?