Sea lions caught at Bonneville Dam Monday not eligible to be .

View full sizeThomas Boyd, The OregonianCalifornia sea lions have found plentiful salmon - and slow to catch - at the base of the Bonneville Dam.A lethal injection program seems to get made little difference.

BONNEVILLE - The Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department began trapping sea lions Monday below Bonneville Dam, but none of the four which climbed into cages were on a number of animals eligible to be euthanized.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday gave Oregon and Washington new authority to entrap and remove California sea lions eating endangered spring chinook, permission that was stopped last fall by a federal appeals court.

Biologists used a research permit this form to put large floating traps under the dam to see and brand sea lions for identification.

Now, any sea lion that hauls itself out of the river and onto the trap's platform is checked against a number of 78 California sea lions meeting three criteria for removal. The criteria includes being observed eating salmon or steelhead below Bonneville between Jan. 1 and May 31 of any year; being observed below Bonneville for a number of 5 years between Jan. 1 and May 31 of any year; and, being observed under the dam after having been hazed.

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The Oregonian`s continuing coverage of the Columbia River sea lions.

In the traps early Monday was a Steller sea lion, which cannot be removed, and three California sea lions, said Rick Hargrave, an ODFW spokesman. One of the California sea lions had no brands and the two others had not met the 5-day criteria. Biologists branded the one sea lion and then trucked the former two to Astoria and returned them to the Columbia River.

If a trapped California sea lion meets removal criteria, the states bear to make the beast for 48 hours to see if an aquarium or zoo is concerned in taking it. Ten sea lions went to aquariums or zoos in 2008 and 2009, but none last year. The states have euthanized 27 animals, including 14 in 2010.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineer observers have counted 50 California sea lions this year, the fewest since 2003. In a weekly report issued Friday, Corps biologist Robert Stansell said the number of salmon killed by California sea lions this class "is passing to be much lower than the final few years."

Two sea lions have been discovered just above Bonneville, Stansell said, and the states project to put a hole up there. For the 1st time, NOAA's authorization includes permission to remove California sea lions above the dam.

- Quinton Smith