1/26 Climate action, fishfarm nets, WA chinook plan, EPA air rules, offshore drilling, boat mooring, tsunami alerts

China rockfish (Wikipedia)

China rockfish Sebastes nebulosus
China rockfish are found from Kechemak Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska, to San Nicolas Island in southern California. They are found at water depths between 3 and 128 m (10-420 ft).  This is a solitary species inhabiting high-energy, high-relief rocky outcrops with numerous crevices.  They are very territorial and rarely move less than 10 m (33 ft) from their home site. Commonly caught by recreational harvesters off the northern Washington coast.  Recreational harvest within Puget Sound has been closed. (WDFW)

100% for Climate: Threading the Legislative Needle
The tag line the environmental community is using to spur climate legislation is  “100% for climate action”. It's one gaining support from a variety of stakeholders - business leaders and city council members from central Washington. They may not agree on the exact language in bills making their way through the legislature, but their show of support for carbon pricing could thread the legislative needle. Martha Baskin reports. (PRX)

State investigators focus on nets plugged with mussels in Atlantic salmon net-pen failure
Investigators probing the collapse of an Atlantic salmon farm that sent 160,000 invasive fish into the Salish Sea last summer are examining mussels and other sea life coating the nets as a cause. Photographs obtained by The Seattle Times under a public records request show portions of the nets at Cooke’s farm were so fouled with kelp, algae and especially mussels that the net was no longer visible. Mussels rained down on the dock as the nets were lifted with a crane for disposal, photos show. Heaps of mussels on the dock were so high, they had to be scooped up with a front-end loader. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

WDFW Commission advises state fishery managers on chinook plan
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission advised state fishery managers to strike a better balance between conservation and harvest opportunities as they work with tribal co-managers to revise a proposed plan for managing chinook harvest in Puget Sound. During a conference call Tuesday, the commission – a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife – instructed state fishery managers to explore a variety of options as they revisit catch rates and other pieces of the updated Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan…. “Ultimately, we would all like to see salmon runs restored in Puget Sound, but severely restricting fisheries isn’t the only path to achieving that goal,” said Brad Smith, chair of the commission. “For that reason, we advised WDFW staff to explore other salmon recovery options, including improvements to habitat and hatchery operations.” (WA Fish & Wildlife Commission)

U.S. EPA reverses policy on 'major sources' of pollution
 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it was withdrawing a provision of the Clean Air Act that requires a major source of pollution like a power plant to always be treated as a major source, even if it makes changes to reduce emissions. The decision to withdraw the “once-in always-in” policy is part of President Donald Trump’s effort to roll back federal regulations and was sought by utilities, the petroleum industry and others. Sources of air pollution previously classified as “major sources” may be reclassified as “area” sources when the facility limits its emissions below “major source” thresholds, the EPA said. Area sources are subject to less strict pollution control standards than major sources. Eric Beech reports. (Reuters)

What Are The Chances Of Offshore Oil And Gas Drilling In The Northwest?
Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced plans to reopen the West Coast to offshore oil and gas leasing. It’s a dramatic reversal of Obama-era policies that blocked offshore drilling, and it’s drawn fierce opposition from all three West Coast governors. The plans offer up a chance to drill for oil and gas off the coasts of Oregon and Washington for the first time in more than 50 years. But with strong opposition and unproven oil and gas reserves, it’s unclear whether anyone will take that chance. Cassandra Profita and Tony Schick report. (OPB/EarthFix)

Frustration mounts over 'Wild West' of boat mooring in Vancouver Island bay 
People who live along Cadboro Bay in Saanich, B.C., are frustrated by the number of boats that continue to break free and crash ashore during the frequent storms that batter the coast. Several more vessels washed up during high winds earlier this week. Two large sailboats were towed off the sand and refloated on Wednesday after their owners came forward…. The owners of both sailboats covered the cost of getting them back into the water…. But that's not always the case, said Eric Dahli with the Cadboro Bay Residents Association. "If the ownership can't be determined, then we through the Registrar of Wreck will take ownership and dispose of it," he said. "Eventually it comes as a cost to all of the taxpayers." Megan Thomas reports. (CBC)

B.C.’s tsunami that wasn’t: Why scientists know when a wave will hit – but not its size
An array of underwater sensors off Vancouver Island's west coast measured the progress of a tsunami approaching British Columbia's seaside communities of Tofino and Ucluelet early Tuesday morning. It turned out the tsunami amounted to a barely visible ripple, just a few centimetres in height. Based on the data from the sensors, instantly transmitted to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, scientists quickly knew the earthquake off Alaska's coast, 10 kilometres under the sea, was a big one. But the estimation of how big the tsunami would be was far less precise. Wendy Stueck and Justine Hunter report. (Globe and Mail) See also: DNR: State’s forecasts for tsunamis are outdated and incomplete  Chad Sokol reports. (Spokesman-Review)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PST Fri Jan 26 2018  
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY  MORNING  
TODAY  SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds.  Showers in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 30 to 40 kt after  midnight. Combined seas 9 to 11 ft with a dominant period of  11 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then rain after midnight.
SAT  SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds  building to SW 11 ft at 10 seconds in the afternoon. Rain in the  morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. SW swell 10 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 8 ft at  10 seconds after midnight.
SUN  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 8 ft  at 9 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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