4/17 Cascara, orca bills, WA salmon season, Fraser season, whale watch, melting glaciers, PT Marine Science Center

Cascara [Jesse Taylor]

Cascara Rhamnus purshiana
Cascara ... is a species of buckthorn native to western North America from southern British Columbia south to central California, and eastward to northwestern Montana. The dried bark of cascara has been used for centuries as a laxative, first by American Indians in the Pacific Northwest, and then by White settlers.... Historically, cascara was used in traditional medicine as a laxative, and in the late 20th century, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved its use for this purpose. In the early 21st century, however, the FDA withdrew its approval, citing the absence of evidence for efficacy and safety. Cascara remains available in the United States as an unregulated dietary supplement. (Wikipedia)

State lawmakers pass sweeping protections for Puget Sound orcas
The Washington state House and Senate passed four bills this month providing sweeping protections for Puget Sound’s ailing orca population. The quartet of bills were passed between April 10 and April 15, and cover a variety of measures, including whale watching, pollution, and more. Each legislative body passed amendments which need to be approved by their counterparts before heading to the governor’s desk for final approval. The first to get the OK from the House and Senate was HB 1579, providing aid to the endangered Chinook salmon population, the primary prey for Puget Sound’s orcas. [The other bills are HB 1578, SB 5577, and SB 5135] (MyNorthwest)

2019 salmon seasons set
State and tribal fishery co-managers reached an agreement Monday, setting the general salmon fishing seasons for the remainder of 2019. The seasons include increased opportunity to fish for coho salmon but less opportunity to fish for chinook salmon, in part due to efforts to conserve fish for the endangered Southern Resident orca whales that eat chinook. Pink salmon fisheries will also be limited in Puget Sound. Limiting salmon fisheries could also help the orcas by reducing the number of fishing boats, which create noise that interferes with the whales’ ability to communicate and hunt, according to a state Department of Fish & Wildlife news release. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Fraser River chinook fishery closed through most of the summer
Commercial and recreational fisheries for Fraser River chinook will be closed for much of the summer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Tuesday. First Nations food, social and ceremonial fisheries for chinook salmon will be closed until July 15, while recreational anglers will face tight restrictions on chinook in waters on the south coast through the entire season. The annual limit for chinook retention by recreational anglers will also be reduced from 30 fish per person to just 10. Fisheries Canada will provide some fishing opportunities later in the summer, said regional director Rebecca Reid. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Killer whales spotted in Vancouver harbour
A pod of killer whales was spotted swimming in the waters of the Vancouver harbour Tuesday afternoon. The Vancouver Police Department posted photos to social media of at least three orcas under the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, deep in the inner harbour. (CBC) See also: WATCH: Baby orca and pod splashing around Salish Sea  A whale watching group got a special treat when they witnessed a family of orcas with a young calf hunting and playing in the Salish Sea. (KING)

‘When the Glaciers Disappear, Those Species Will Go Extinct’
When it was built in the early 1900s, the road into Mount Rainier National Park from the west passed near the foot of the Nisqually Glacier, one of the mountain’s longest. Visitors could stop for ice cream at a stand built among the glacial boulders and gaze in awe at the ice. The ice cream stand is long gone. The glacier now ends more than a mile farther up the mountain. As surely as they are melting elsewhere around the world, glaciers are disappearing in North America, too. This great melting will affect ecosystems and the creatures within them, like the salmon that spawn in meltwater streams. This is on top of the effects on the water that billions of people drink, the crops they grow and the energy they need. Glacier-fed ecosystems are delicately balanced, populated by species that have adapted to the unique conditions of the streams. As glaciers shrink and meltwater eventually declines, changes in water temperature, nutrient content and other characteristics will disrupt those natural communities. Henry Fountain, Max Whittaker and Jeremy White report. (NY Times)

Marine Science Center planning future renovation
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is working together with the Fort Worden Public Development Authority and Washington State Parks to come up with a long-term vision for the rehabilitation of marine facilities at Fort Worden. These facilities include the boat launch, pier, aquarium and museum located at the beach at Fort Worden. Washington State Parks has received funding to replace the boat launch and pier, said Michael Hankinson, a planner with State Parks. The Marine Science Center is planning to update their facilities at the same time, to create a unified waterfront area and expand their marine education programs. State Parks will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. on April 18 at the Fort Worden Commons to hear input on the possible rehabilitation designs of that area. (Port Townsend Leader)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PDT Wed Apr 17 2019   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 14 seconds. Showers in  the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming E to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 8 ft at 14 seconds. Showers likely in the  evening then rain likely after midnight.



--
"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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told