Living in the breathtaking environs of Puget Sound, I am intimately connected to the rich marine life that calls this place home, from the agile seals to the graceful seabirds that cruise the waters with purpose. These creatures are an integral part of our ecosystem and have been living in harmony with the salmon for thousands of years. It breaks my heart to think that humans are now targeting these animals, blaming them for a decline in salmon populations that is, quite frankly, our own doing.

The Senate Joint Memorial 8013 proposal to kill more seals, sea lions, and seabirds to save salmon is misguided. The decline of salmon is not due to these natural predators but rather results from decades of human-caused environmental degradation. We have dammed rivers, destroying migration routes. We've polluted our waterways and obliterated natural habitats. Each of these human actions has critically harmed salmon populations far more than any predator could.

It is crucial to acknowledge the role we play in this environmental crisis. Scientific evidence highlights that the most detrimental threats to salmon are the obstacles at artificial choke points created by humans—dams that obliterate their migration paths and habitats lost to urbanization.

Instead of blaming and killing the seals, sea lions, and seabirds for a problem they did not create, we should focus on removing or modifying dams, restoring natural habitats, and implementing sustainable fishing practices that better protect both salmon and the entire ecosystem. By focusing on these critically needed interventions, we can foster a more sustainable future where salmon populations thrive without sacrificing the well-being of entire species.

I urge lawmakers to reconsider Senate Joint Memorial 8013 and redirect their efforts toward sustainable, long-term solutions. Let us celebrate and protect our rich marine biodiversity rather than diminish it. Join me in calling for an end to the unnecessary killing of seals and seabirds. Please sign this petition to advocate for a future where humans and wildlife coexist in harmony, and our waterways teem with life as they ought to.