1/31 BC fishery, boat poop, orca tracking, shell no drill, rail rules, Tesoro blast, starfish, Edmonds Marsh, Nature Conservancy $

Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Fisheries

5 Vancouver Island native bands get commercial fishery
Five First Nations on Vancouver Island, who are part of the collective known as the Nuu-chah-nulth, have had their right to catch and sell nearly all species of fish found within their territories recognized by the country's highest court. The reaffirmation of Nuu-chah-nulth commercial fishing rights came Thursday morning when the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the federal government's appeal of a B.C. court ruling. The decision ends a decade-long legal fight between Canada and the Ahousaht, Ehattesaht/Chinekint, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht and Tla­‐o­‐qui­‐aht nations over aboriginal economic fishing rights.

New blog: 2014: One Down, 11 to Go
“A month ago, when the year was fresh and new, I wrote about “What I'm Looking For In 2014.”  We’re one month into 2014 and starting out another lunar year. Happy Lunar New Year!  Have I found anything yet in 2014 that I’m looking for?...”

If you like to watch: On poop patrol with the 'Pumpout Pirates'

If you like to watch: Video shows 30 days of tracking J pod orcas

Shell won’t drill for oil in Alaska’s Arctic this year
Oil companies’ rush to find reserves off Alaska’s Arctic shores suffered a setback Thursday after Shell said it would suspend its operations in the region, possibly for good. Royal Dutch Shell PLC is the main company to have purchased leases for oil fields off Alaska’s Arctic shores, but its attempts to drill have been halting because of technical and legal hurdles. While other companies are still seeking to exploit deep-water Arctic fields nearby in Canada, Shell’s troubles may indicate that the difficulties outweigh the potential economic benefits.

Federal rail agency collects minimal enforcement fines, documents show
The U.S. Department of Transportation collects relatively small civil penalties against the railroads it regulates, as concern grows over the safety of shipping large volumes of crude oil and ethanol in tank cars long known to be deficient, federal documents show. A McClatchy review of annual enforcement reports shows that the Federal Railroad Administration rarely fines any company more than $25,000, though it’s authorized to collect a maximum of $175,000 per violation. Some fines are as little as $250, and most settlements are substantially lower than the agency had first proposed. Additional documents obtained by McClatchy reveal that the agency agreed to a $17,000 settlement in September 2010 with the Canadian National Railway over a June 2009 derailment in Cherry Valley, Ill. The accident killed one person, injured nine – including two firefighters – spilled more than 300,000 gallons of ethanol and caused the evacuation of more than 600 nearby residents. Curtis Tate reports.

Feds Find Culture Of 'Complacency' At Tesoro Before Deadly Refinery Fire
A culture of complacency at Tesoro’s Anacortes refinery led to the deadly fireball that claimed the lives of seven workers in 2010, according to federal investigators who've spent almost four years examining the causes. The equipment that exploded in the early hours of April 2, 2010 had developed leaks that the company knew about. The carbon steel tubing of the equipment had been weakened over time by hydrogen and that had caused cracks.  Ashley Gross reports.

Citizen Scientists Asked To Help Search For #SickStarfish
With thousands of miles of coastline in North America, scientists can’t be everywhere at once to keep an eye out for sick and dying starfish.... Puget Sound diver Laura James has built a new tool to make it easy for citizen scientists to help.... James and her dive buddy Lamont Granquist created a sick starfish website for tracking posts to social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. If divers, tidepoolers or beachcombers snap photos of starfish and add the hashtag #sickstarfish, their reports will automatically upload to the map. Katie Campbell reports. See also: Sea star wasting syndrome found in seven specimens in Freshwater Bay

City, Army Corps may partner on marsh restoration
At one time, the Edmonds Marsh was the site of a dairy; at another, Edmonds residents enjoyed playing golf there. But go back far enough, before settlers began altering the landscape, and Edmonds Marsh was just that – a swamp, a bog, a wetland that was sanctuary to all manner of wildlife, from Chinook salmon to Great Blue Herons. Environmentalists are leading efforts to return the marsh to its pristine state. And now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may soon be helping in that effort. The Corps, known for its expertise in building dams, irrigation systems and similar projects, is increasingly focusing on restorative work as well. Paul Archipley reports.

Nature Conservancy Raises $33.3 Million for Conservation
The Nature Conservancy’s three-year Forces of Nature campaign has raised $33.3 million in private dollars for conservation in Washington and internationally. The campaign, the largest in the chapter’s history and one of the largest campaigns for conservation ever in Washington, was focused on conserving and restoring natural systems while enhancing the well-being of people.... In all, the Conservancy raised nearly $18 million for acquisitions, $10 million for on-the-ground work, and more than $6 million for international programs.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI JAN 31 2014
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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