A proposal from Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, would expand Washington state’s efforts to control sea lions by asking boaters for voluntary contributions when they renew vessel licenses.

Senate Bill 5851, pre-filed for consideration in the 2026 legislative session, would end a long-running impasse over funding for sea lion control, Wilson said. The money would allow the state to expand efforts to the Cowlitz River and other Lower Columbia tributaries.

“The attorneys tell me we can’t do a ‘go-fund-me’ to save the salmon,” Wilson said. “But I think this will work even better. There are many of us who feel passionately about protecting our salmon runs, and this bill would give us a chance to contribute to the cause.”

Wilson’s immediate goal is to raise $300,000 for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, so that it can purchase barges and other equipment suitable for shallow waterways like the Cowlitz. But he said the voluntary-contribution program could provide a permanent source of funding to supplement ongoing state efforts to reduce sea lion predation.

The hungry sea lions, once considered an endangered species, have rebounded over the last 50 years due to federal prohibitions on hunting and a lack of natural predators. Today hundreds of sea lions make their way upriver from the sea between January to March when smolts are in the water. Each sea lion consumes about 40 pounds of fish daily, and together they take a big bite from the region’s struggling salmon runs.

They are also a nuisance on the docks of the Westport Marina.

Studies by the National Marine Fisheries Service indicate that between 20 to 45% of the endangered spring Chinook run on the Snake and Columbia are lost to sea lion predation, depending on the year and river conditions.

Under a federal permit granted in 2020, the states of Washington and Oregon are permitted to cull the fast-growing sea lion population on the Lower Columbia and tributary rivers. Hundreds have been removed near Bonneville Dam and on the Willamette River. Yet the tributaries on the Washington side have gone untouched for lack of suitable equipment.

“Of course this is something our tax dollars should be paying for,” Wilson said. “The state budget is nearly $80 billion, and with all the millions of dollars we’ve spent trying to rebuild our salmon runs, you’d think we could find $300,000 to protect our investment.

“Yet when I tried to obtain an appropriation for this purpose in 2024 and 2025, people shrugged and told me there were more important things. We can’t wait any longer. By providing a means for people to contribute, we’ll get WDFW the funding it needs to expand its fight against the sea lions. We’ll show the Legislature that this issue is a priority for the people. I think we’ll raise that $300,000 and keep right on going.”