Hi All: Here is a link to report on the Commencement Bay barge project by Ken Collis et al. (http://oregonstate.edu/robylab/pdfs/Collis_et_al_2002b.pdf). The eggs were removed because of the objections by salmon managers that dump hatchery fish into the Nisqually River which empties into Commencement Bay. The destruction had nothing to do with science; the managers just didn't want terns eating their fish.
The birds nested at ASARCO in 1999 & 2000 where in 2000 I did a rather extensive food study based on wire tags (CWTs) put into hatchery fish. The result, duh, was that the tern gobbled up many hatchery fish. What was more incredible was that 95 million salmonids were released into Puget Sound that year. We are all paying for the hatchery effort to keep the recreational and commercial fishery going. Since I don't fish for salmon, I'd rather have my quota of fish go to terns.
Terns are protected both by state and federal regulation but port authorities seem to be able to ignore these regulations. The Port of Tacoma has chased terns off buildings and docks in 2001 and I imagine they continuing this effort. Terns nested on roofs for several years prior to and after the 2001 debacle and would likely continue to do so given to opportunity.
Gary Shugart, Slater Museum of Natural History, Univ. Puget Sound, Tacoma & Vashon Island