11/24 Whiting, Padilla Bay poop, Kalama methanol, fish farm appeal, oil spill, Quiet Sound, whale watching, native history, BC Ferries mask

Pacific whiting [NOAA]

Pacific whiting Mercluccius productus
Pacific whiting, or hake, is a ray-finned fish species found off the West Coast of the United States and Canada. They are a semi-pelagic schooling species of groundfish. There are three stocks of Pacific whiting: a migratory coastal stock, ranging from southern Baja California to Queen Charlotte Sound; a central-south Puget Sound stock; and a Strait of Georgia stock. While the latter stocks have declined significantly, the coastal stock remains large and healthy and is the most abundant commercial fish stock on the Pacific Coast. Pacific whiting are night-time predators that move up the water column to feed and then migrate back down during the day. (NOAA

New report details action plan for fixing Padilla Bay fecal coliform sources, urges participation
Finding and fixing remaining sources of dangerous fecal coliform pollution coming into Padilla Bay is like “herding cats," some say. A report due to be submitted soon by the state Department of Ecology to the Environmental Protection Agency lists sources and strategies for cleanup. The caveat: full implementation requires the participation of many different groups. Alex Meacham reports. (Salish Current)

US judge voids permits for Columbia River methanol plant
A judge on Monday voided permits needed for a massive methanol plant on the Columbia River in Southwest Washington, agreeing with conservation groups that the project needs a more thorough environmental review. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had granted the permits for the construction of an export facility that is part of a $2 billion NW Innovation Works plant proposed in Kalama. The plant would take natural gas from Canada and convert it into methanol, which would be shipped to China to make olefins — compounds used in everything from fabrics and contact lenses to iPhones and medical equipment. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

Steelhead farm proposal appealed to state Supreme Court
Environmental groups are taking their fight against Cooke Aquaculture’s proposal to transition from farming Atlantic salmon to steelhead to the state Supreme Court. The groups appealed Monday a Nov. 6 decision by King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender that upheld a permit issued by the state Department of Fish & Wildlife to allow such farms in area waters. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Collision between barge and fishing boat in Vancouver Island harbour leads to diesel spill 
The Canadian Coast Guard says it has completed its cleanup of a diesel spill caused by a collision between two vessels in the harbour at Parksville, B.C. According to the Coast Guard, a barge carrying a fuel truck struck a fishing boat in the French Creek Harbour on Monday at around 11:50 a.m. The collision caused the tank of the fuel truck to rupture, leaking diesel into the harbour. Although initial estimates suggested that 300-500 litres had been spilled, the Coast Guard said Monday evening that the final estimate is 188 litres. (CBC)

Quiet Sound underwater noise reduction program could soon slow ships, protect orcas
Underwater noise from ship traffic is one of the major threats to Puget Sound’s endangered Southern Resident orcas. It can interfere with the whales’ ability to communicate, navigate by echolocation and find the increasingly scarce salmon they prefer. A recommendation from the orca recovery task force convened by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2018-19 is to reduce noise and disturbance from large vessels. Work is underway to develop a program called "Quiet Sound," which will alert ships to the presence of whales so they can re-route or slow down. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

To help save orcas, pause whale watching
Suspending commercial whale-watching boats can help southern resident killer whales avoid extinction. Opinion by Donna Sandstrom and Tim Ragen (Crosscut) And, if you like to watch: Sentinels of Silence? Whale Watching, Noise, and the Orca   Ecosong (10/22/20) And, to have a say: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Public Hearing on Commercial Whale Watching, Dec. 4, 11:15 a.m. via Zoom

Why learning real Native history is important to the PNW and beyond
Washington schools are changing how they teach Indigenous histories. Here's what the people who've already been through school can learn from these efforts. Manola Secaira reports. (Crosscut)

B.C. Ferries mask image will be replaced after everyone has a laugh
Mark Collins, president and chief executive of B.C. Ferries, said Friday that it’s a stock image that the company paid for the right to use. “We didn’t see it at first,” he said. “But I do recognize that once you see it, you can’t unsee it.” Carla Wilson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  242 AM PST Tue Nov 24 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  S wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SW 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. A  chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  12 ft at 19 seconds building to 15 ft at 18 seconds after  midnight. Rain likely and a slight chance of tstms.

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