The Humane Society of the United States is among a group of animal protection advocates who filed a lawsuit in federal court in hopes of reversing an order that would allow sea lions feeding on pacific salmon in Washington and Oregon to be killed.

Sea lions in the area feed on the salmon, however the salmon population has been decreasing at an alarming rate recently, causing the National Marine Fisheries Service to announce last week that up to 85 sea lions could be killed each year in order to protect the fish. The lawsuit claims that this year's salmon run is expected to yield triple the number of fish than during last year's migration and calls the decision to eliminate the sea lions "outrageous and patently illegal." Meanwhile, non-lethal measures to discourage the sea lions away have been utilized - including protective barriers, rubber bullets and firecrackers - to no avail.

The defendants named in the suit are the Secretary of Commerce and the director of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

» Reuters Environment