The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has started killing sea lions below Willamette Falls to protect a fragile run of winter steelhead.

The state got a federal permit in November to kill up to 93 California sea lions per year below the falls. So far, officials have killed three sea lions using the same traps they used last year to relocate the animals to the coast.

A recent study found sea lions were eating so many threatened winter steelhead at Willamette Falls that certain runs were at a high risk of going extinct. One year, they ate about a quarter of a run that was already down to about 500 fish.

Bryan Wright, program manager for ODFW, said half a dozen sea lions are eating steelhead below the falls right now.

“The only fish in the river right now are the winter steelhead," he said. "If we can remove all these sea lions right now that will be a huge benefit to them.”