The State - News from Jan. 4, 1987

Officials in Washington state say they are considering sending some too-hungry sea lions packing to California. The Washington Department of Game and the National Marine Fisheries Service said they want to trap and ship a sea lion they dubbed Humpback, a 400-pounder with a slightly deformed back, and about a dozen companions to the ocean near Santa Barbara by the middle of this month. The officials claim Humpback alone was responsible for 60% of the observed sea lion catches of steelhe1633951860warm to the proposal. “That’s crazy,” said Bill Maxwell of the California Department of Fish and Game. “We would not support anything like that.” But, he added, Washington state would not need the approval of California to move some sea lions.