1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) There are 13 groups of salmon and steelhead that are listed as threatened species or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) that migrate through the lower Columbia River. All lower Columbia River tributaries contain listed species, including Chinook, Chum, and Coho salmon and winter-run steelhead. (2) The people of the Northwest of the United States are united in their desire to restore healthy salmon and steelhead runs because the fish are integral to the culture and economy of the region. (3) The Columbia River Treaty tribes retain important rights with respect to salmon and steel­head. (4) Federal, State, and tribal governments have spent billions of dollars to assist the recovery of salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River basin. (5) One of the factors that negatively impacts salmonid populations is increased predation by marine mammals, including California sea lions. (6) As of June 2017, the population of California sea lions has increased 10-fold during the last 30 years, and is approximately 300,000 animals. (7) Biologists estimate that in recent years, during the peak spring salmonid run, as many as 3,000 California sea lions have been foraging in the lower 145 miles of the Columbia River to the Bonneville Dam. (8) Historically, California sea lions, the habitat of which is fundamentally salt water, did not venture very far up into the Columbia River. (9) The percentage of the spring salmonid run that has been eaten or killed by California sea lions at the Bonneville Dam has increased 7-fold since 2002. (10) The Columbia River spring chinook and the Willamette River steelhead are salmonid species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) as an endangered species and a threatened species, respectively. (11) Federal, State and tribal estimates indicate that