3/22 Vic sewer, oyster norovirus, GE salmon fight, BC pipe $, talkin' orcas, bad clammers, clean air

Red sea urchin [Ed Bierman/WikiMedia]

Red Sea Urchin Stronggylocentrotus franciscanus
The Salish Sea's largest urchin, growing to 5 inches. Found in subtidal waters and in lower tide pools and surge channels on rocky shores. Feeds on pieces of drifting kelp which snags on its long, mobile spines. (Marine Life of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia) Uni (oo-nee) is the Japanese name for the edible part of the sea urchin. While colloquially referred to as the roe (eggs), uni is actually the animal's gonads (which produce the milt or roe). (Sushifaq.com)

Esquimalt, Songhees First Nations to reap millions for backing CRD sewage plan
Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations will receive millions of dollars for their support of the Capital Regional District’s sewage-treatment project. The “support agreements” negotiated with each nation provide for everything from paid liaison positions and guarantees of employment for band members to costs of re-interment of any ancestral remains discovered during construction. They also include money to operate a food truck and provide culinary arts training, and cash to supply water and sewage services to reserve housing. The largest payment is for Rock Bay land controlled by the two First Nations. The CRD will spend $600,000 annually for four years to lease the land, which will be used as a preparation area for the sewage project. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

B.C. oyster industry reeling after more than 300 consumers fall ill
The federal government has closed oyster farming at seven diverse locations in southern B.C. waters, and several other commercial growers have voluntarily stopped selling amidst the worst norovirus outbreak to ever hit the industry. To date, a total of 304 illnesses have been reported in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario from eating raw or undercooked oysters from the West Coast, said Darlene Winterburn, executive director of the Comox-based B.C. Shellfish Growers’ Association.

Illness traced back to Samish Bay oysters
Part of Samish Bay is closed to commercial shellfish harvesting because of multiple reports of an oyster-related illness traced back to the area. According to the state Department of Health, the agency received several reports of shellfish consumers in King County having norovirus-like symptoms after eating oysters the weekend of March 10.  Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Wild Salmon Allies: Tribes and Others Resist FDA Approval of GE Salmon
Wild salmon, an ecological keystone species in the Northwest, have played a central role in tribal life for generations. The quiet approval of genetically engineered salmon by the Food and Drug Administration doesn't sit well with tribes and fishing communities across the nation, who are rallying behind a lawsuit against the FDA which is making its way through the courts. In the Pacific Northwest, Coast Salish tribes and community allies held a wild-salmon cook out to bring attention to the issue, which they say is about food sovereignty and honoring of treaty rights. Martha Baskin reports. (Green Acre Radio)

B.C. Liberals challenged to return donations from Kinder Morgan and 'associates'
Three environmental groups are calling on the B.C. Liberals to return hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from Kinder Morgan and groups and companies they say have a stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline. The Dogwood Initiative, Stand.earth and Leadnow said Tuesday the B.C. Liberals have received "at least" $771,168 from Kinder Morgan, "its shippers and allied pipeline and petroleum associations." Liam Britten reports. (CBC)

Event: Washington State’s Regional Fishery Enhancement Groups: Making a Real Difference for Salmon (and Orcas)
The Whale Trail presents Jeanette Dorner of the Midsound Fisheries Enhancement Group speaking about working with private landowners an community partners to identify and carry out projects that increase the number of Puget Sound salmon, the main prey of endangered local orcas. The talk is on March 30, 7 PM, at C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave. SW, in West Seattle. $5 adults, children free; tickets. 

Orca whales return to Puget Sound, just in time for start of spring
Orca whales have officially returned to Puget Sound waters. On the second day of spring, KIRO 7’s Chopper spotted a group of orca whales, swimming above and below the water. (KIRO)

Shots fired on Vancouver Island over alleged illegal clam digging
Charges have been laid in connection with an alleged illegal clam digging operation on Vancouver Island that turned violent Friday. North Cowichan RCMP officers say they were called in after Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers reported shots fired at around 4:30 p.m. PT. The officers were patrolling a beach near the Chemainus River when they caught three people allegedly digging clams illegally…. Tom Hlavac, acting director of the DFO's Conservation and Protection program, said officers often encounter resistance to enforcement. (CBC)

Celebrating 50 years of clean air
Before the state established laws to protect air quality, smoke and ash billowed from industrial facilities, including some in Skagit County. The Northwest Clean Air Agency, which enforces air quality regulations in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties, is celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the state's Clean Air Act. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  433 AM PDT WED MAR 22 2017  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH  THURSDAY AFTERNOON  
TODAY  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING SW 15 TO 25 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL  7 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT  SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL  7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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