Sea Lion Menaces Berkeley Marina

May 15 - KGO (KGO) -- A 600-pound sea lion continues to be a bit of a menace at the Berkeley Marina, despite efforts to get rid of him. Last week it attacked a woman, and now some people are suggesting it be euthanized. This is one sea lion that is losing friends, fast.

At first, some people were calling him Barney. But now they're calling him Jaws. And they think that if he's not captured soon, he may need to be euthanized before he attacks again.

Park rangers tell you not to feed the bears because the animal can get too comfortable around humans and lose its fear -- and that's when it becomes dangerous. It is the same situation here -- no more feeding the sea lion.

Fishermen at the Berkeley marina are being instructed to spray him to keep him at bay. And fish must now be filleted outside of the marina, with carcasses tossed in the trash and not in the sea lions mouth.

Berkeley's harbor master says that's originally why the sea lion made this his home.

Joseph Gallia, New El Dorado III: "He's extremely hungry."

But some fishermen say he got nasty only after they were told not to feed him anymore. Last week, the 600-pound mammal dodged an attempt to trap him after he chased two people and bit a chunk of flesh out of a ship's crew member.

Jim Smith, Jr., California Dawn: "You know, if he grabbed a small kid he might have pulled him in."

Jim Smith of the California Dawn says the approach would have been different had it been a mountain lion.

Jim Smith, Jr., California Dawn: "The parks department is going to shoot him. If you have a bear attack somebody, the parks department is going to shoot him."

The Marine Mammal Protection Act makes it illegal to provoke or feed a sea lion, but it does not prohibit euthanizing one.

Some sport boat captains are in favor of killing it because it's beginning to scare away business.

Amy Ferguson, sea lion supporter: "This particular sea lion was provoked by people feeding him. And if they had left him to his own wild defenses, he would have never been down here. So, I am not in favor of euthanizing him."

But cutting off his free dinners and spraying him in the face hasn't chased him away. When the New Eldorado III arrived, there he was -- waiting to try and snatch some catch-of-the-day from unsuspecting customers.

That's why some people worry that another attack could be worse if the sea lion isn't captured or euthanized soon.

>> <font color="red">Video On Demand: Build Your Own Newscast</font>

Get more News »

• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•