California and Steller sea lions face ongoing welfare challenges from entanglement in fishing gear, with ghost gear and active fishing operations causing significant injury and mortality.
Sea lions entangled in monofilament or net gear experience progressive injuries as they grow against the constricting material. Loop entanglements around the neck or flippers cause deep wounds, infection, and eventually severe welfare compromise including inability to hunt. Rescue operations that cut entanglements and treat wounds provide direct welfare benefit but are costly and logistically challenging with wild animals. Prevention through fishing gear modification, ghost gear retrieval, and responsible disposal reduces the entanglement burden at the source.