2/3 Quake warning, city wildlife, ocean plastics, sniffer dogs, PA fish farm, derelict boat fee

(PHOTO: NPR)

Rogue Drones? Unleash The Eagles
As recreational use of drones around the world continues to soar, authorities have been forced to get creative with how they deal with drones that fly into restricted airspace. In December, Tokyo police launched a drone designed to take out other drones with a net. In October, British tech companies unveiled a drone "death ray" that can disable drones in midflight. Now, police in the Netherlands are turning to nature for another possible solution: eagles. Laura Wagner reports. (NPR)

Earthquake Early Warning System Coming To West Coast
Federal agencies and university scientists are making progress on the deployment of an earthquake early warning system for the West Coast. That was one of the messages from a half-day earthquake preparedness summit hosted by the White House Tuesday. It wouldn’t be much advance warning. An alert between a few seconds up to a couple minutes ahead of strong shaking coming from a distance. But that could be enough time to save lives, said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Vancouver wildlife biodiversity strategy approved by park board
The Vancouver Park Board has voted unanimously in favour of a biodiversity strategy that will see 25 hectares of "natural area"  in the city restored or enhanced by 2020. There are 20 at-risk species in the city according to the park board, which considers its new strategy a "legacy piece" that will ensure future generations can enjoy the biodiversity of Vancouver's forests, shorelines, and marshes. (CBC)

All the plastic that we’re throwing in the oceans could be hurting baby oysters
Tiny bits of plastic in the ocean could have a serious impact on the ability of oysters to reproduce, a new study suggests, affecting everything from the movement of their sperm to the growth of their babies. The study is just the latest in a long string of research on the harmful effects of plastic on marine organisms. The problem is that when plastic is dumped into the ocean, it doesn’t exactly decompose — rather, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Once it reaches a certain size (fewer than 5 millimeters in diameter, to be exact), it’s referred to as “microplastic.”  Chelsea Harvey reports. (Washington Post)

Zebra mussel invasion snuffed out by elite team of sniffer dogs
An elite special investigative team is being used to keep out the invasive zebra mussel from Alberta waters, and while the pests haven't invaded B.C. waters yet, it is best to be careful, says one team member. The team consists of three mussel-sniffing dogs and their handlers, who inspect boats on land before they are transported to another body of water, to ensure they do not spread the invasive species. The Alberta team is particularly concerned about snowbirds bringing boats back home from U.S. lakes and rivers, where the zebra mussel was discovered for the first time 20 years ago, believed to have been carried in the ballast tanks of ships from Europe. (CBC)

Seattle seafood company alters proposal to move salmon farm out of Port Angeles Harbor
A seafood company has slightly altered its proposal to move its Atlantic salmon farm operation out of Port Angeles Harbor and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In addition, all of the 11 permits required for the proposed new pens, located 1.7 miles north-northeast of Green Point, have been completed. The company is awaiting responses from the local, state and federal agencies, Alan Cook, vice president of aquaculture for Icicle Seafoods Inc. of Seattle, told about 25 people at the Port Angeles Business Association meeting Tuesday…. Icicle Seafoods has operated fish pens in Port Angeles Harbor for nearly 30 years. They raise genetically natural Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, which are only distantly related to the six Pacific salmon species of the genus oncorhynchus. A new proposed 4.1-acre pen is just east of a location selected in November, moved due to concerns expressed by the Puget Sound Pilots regarding ship transfer areas in the Strait. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Derelict boat fee proposed to pay for cleanup of wrecks
A municipal councillor in Saanich is calling for a fee on boat purchases or registrations to help clean up derelict vessels on the B.C. Coast. The community in Greater Victoria is dealing with several vessels that have washed up on the beach recently at the popular Gyro Park in Cadboro Bay. Removing and disposing of all of the abandoned boats, including one large vessel that has a concrete hull, could cost up to $50,000, said Coun. Judy Brownoff…. Brownoff is proposing a senior level of government collect a small levy on boat purchases or registrations that could go into a fund to help municipalities deal with the problem. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST WED FEB 3 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT FROM THIS  EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON  

TODAY  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT  15 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 19 SECONDS...  BUILDING TO 14 FT AT 19 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN IN THE  EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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