Air Date: Week of April 24, 1998

And now it's time to hear from you, our listeners with comments about Spring Hog salmon, factory trawlers, and Pete Seeger.

Transcript

CURWOOD: And now it's time to hear from you, our listeners.

(Music up and under)

CURWOOD: Our story on the decline of the king salmon in Puget Sound failed to mention spring hogs, a species of huge salmon that used to populate the Columbia River. That according to Byron Bray, who listens to us on KOAC from Albany, Oregon. "These salmon," he writes, "were much, much larger than the king salmon ever were, and lived in the Columbia for tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. Construction of the dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers guaranteed the extinction of these magnificent creatures, a road that the majority of steelhead and salmon species in the northwest are clearly on."

Matt Gonoho of Sitka, Alaska, says our report on El Niño's devastating impact on sea lions in Chile ignored the harm humans have caused these animals. He says sea lion populations up and down the Pacific coast have been declining long before the latest storms, and factory trawlers deserve part of the blame.

GONOHO: These huge vessels target on the same food fish that make up the principle diet of the sea lions. That you could do an entire story on the disappearance of sea lions and claim it's El Niño without any reference at all to this huge devastation, it's just too convenient.

CURWOOD: And finally, Carole Belnick, who listens to KQED in San Francisco, says she was feeling fatigued and discouraged trapped inside on a Saturday afternoon doing some difficult paperwork when she heard our interview with Pete Seeger. The piece gave her needed encouragement. She writes, "By the time of the last chorus of 'We shall overcome,' balance had been restored. I walked outside and looked at the peak of Mt. Hamilton glistening in the distance. Indeed, let all be well with the world when I am gone, and let's get on with the task at hand."

Inspire us with your letters and comments. Call our listener line any time at 800-218-9988. That's 800-218-9988. Our e-mail address is LOE@NPR.ORG. That's LOE@NPR.ORG. And you can write us at Living on Earth, 8 Story Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Once again, Living on Earth, 8 Story Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.