11/8 Fish protections, B'ham waterfront, coal war, BC LNG, herding birds, hurting birds, data tracking, Jan Angel wins

Penpoint gunnel (PHOTO: Ann Dornfeld/KUOW)

If you like to watch: Photos Down Under: A Light Beams From Puget Sound
KUOW's Ann Dornfeld shares her photos and her love of the Sound. "Her favorite marine invertebrate is a nudibranch. (Her favorite nudibranch is a Cockerell's dorid.)" Magnificent!

Changes to Fisheries Legislation Have Removed Habitat Protection for Most Fish Species in Canada
Federal government changes to Canada's fisheries legislation have eviscerated the ability to protect habitat for most of the country's fish species, scientists at the universities of Calgary and Dalhousie say in a new study. The changes were politically motivated, unsupported by scientific advice -- contrary to government policy -- and are inconsistent with ecosystem-based management, fisheries biologists John Post and Jeffrey Hutchings say. Their comprehensive assessment, in a peer-reviewed paper titled "Gutting Canada's Fisheries Act: No fishery, no fish habitat protection," is published in Fisheries, a journal of the 10,000-member American Fisheries Society.

Bellingham council gives preliminary OK to waterfront redevelopment plan
On a 6-0 vote, City Council has given preliminary approval to a master plan meant to guide decades of redevelopment on 237 waterfront acres. The affected land stretches around the bay from the I&J Waterway next to the Bellwether development, all the way to a large new park site at the southern end of Cornwall Avenue. It includes the Port of Bellingham property formerly owned by Georgia-Pacific Corp. The master plan still faces a final formal council vote at an upcoming Monday evening council session, after it has been drawn up in the form of an ordinance. Port of Bellingham commissioners also will need to approve the plan. John Stark reports.

Brighter outlook but no assurances for progressives in the coal port war
The coal train express missed a signal Tuesday in Whatcom County as voters went for a slate of four Democrats who were supported for county council seats by opponents of the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal, which would be built at Cherry Point north of Bellingham. Floyd McKay reports. Whatcom County voting swung toward environmentalists but coal supporters and opponents have lots of battles ahead.

Secret report measures impact of LNG on B.C. environment
The B.C. government is sitting on a report commissioned by its climate-action secretariat that measures the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with developing a liquefied natural-gas industry. The pursuit of LNG is Christy Clark’s central ambition as Premier but it is one that is widely expected to collide with the province’s legislated requirement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. So far, her government has sidestepped questions about how former premier Gordon Campbell’s legacy on climate change will be reshaped to accommodate Ms. Clark’s agenda around resource development. Justine Hunter reports.

If you like to listen: BirdNote--Restoring Bird Colonies with Social Attraction
What does relocating Caspian Terns from an island in the Columbia River have to do with luring Short-tailed Albatrosses away from an active volcano in Japan? They both use methods of social attraction pioneered by Dr. Stephen Kress. Social attraction utilizes visual cues such as decoys and audio recordings of birdcalls. Using these, scientists can entice bird colonies out of harm’s way.

Fowl play: Who's shooting blow darts at ducks, gulls?
The Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center continues receiving reports of birds being blow-darted even as Director Jaye Moore prepares to release in Sequim's Carrie Blake Park four mallard ducks that were injured this summer. Two sea gulls reportedly were attacked in recent months, Moore said. One was spotted at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles around mid- to late summer with a dart through its leg. Moore also received several reports of another sea gull with a dart imbedded in its chest at the Haynes Viewpoint parking area at Front and Peabody streets in Port Angeles in October. Paul Gottlieb reports.

Data trackers monitor your life so they can nudge you
Once you know everything about a person, you can influence their behaviour. A thousand students with tattletale phones are going to find out how easy that is... This is sociology on a different scale, gathering detailed data about an entire group and then using that information to "nudge" them into changing their behaviour. Used ethically, the results could improve the way society works, transforming everything from healthcare and public transport to education and governance. Used for the wrong reasons, it could be extremely dangerous. Hal Hodson reports.

With Jan Angel's victory, state Senate majority will grow
A new alignment in the Washington state Senate calls for some new math. “The difference between 25 and 26 isn’t one,” Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom said Thursday. “It’s exponential.” Tom and his coalition that runs the Senate will welcome Republican Jan Angel as the group's 26th member. Democrat Nathan Schlicher conceded the 26th District race Thursday after Angel’s lead widened to 1,543 votes on the third day of counting ballots. Today, one vote is all that keeps the majority in the hands of 23 Republicans plus Democrats Tom of Medina and Tim Sheldon of Potlatch. Losing a single member risks allowing Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, a Democrat, to step in to break a 24-to-24 tie. Jordan Schrader reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI NOV 8 2013
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL
 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

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