Nation IN BRIEF : ALASKA : Decline in Sea Lions Baffling to Experts

Food shortages in the Gulf of Alaska are sharply cutting populations of sea lions and sea birds, but the complexity of the North Pacific ecosystem makes it impossible for scientists to determine the cause. Some believe the declines are caused by overfishing by a billion-dollar commercial fishing industry that annually harvests some 2 million tons of pollock. Others note declines in other fish species that are lightly or seldom harvested, and believe that environmental changes may be to blame. Scientists at a conference in Anchorage said sea lions, seals and sea birds simply may be losing out in the competition for fish, or becoming food themselves for killer whales.