In terms of the evidence of causal factors, pinniped predation in the inshore waters actually ranks as the strongest. I'm not here to advocate for any particular management measure. I'm simply here to recognize that it seems to be a very important component in what has happened over the past three or four decades, not only to steelhead but to many salmon populations.
It's not just these particular steelhead that have been affected. There are many areas on the southern B.C. coast and Puget Sound where pinnipeds are increasingly being implicated in the science literature.