5/23 Kelp poacher, whale watch, oil lovers, coast guard ships, Tacoma LNG, Leque Is

Juvenile kelp poacher [Clinton Bauder]

Kelp poacher Agonomalus mozinoi
The kelp poacher is a fish in the family Agonidae (poachers). It was described by Norman Joseph Wilimovsky and Donald Edward Wilson in 1979, originally under the genus Hypsagonus. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling fish which is known from northern British Columbia, Canada to central California, USA, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. (Wikipedia)

Battle over orca whale-watch restrictions heats up in San Juan County
An initiative has been filed to increase the distance whale-watch boats must keep from endangered southern-resident orcas — followed immediately by a lawsuit earlier this week from several whale-watch companies to keep the measure off the ballot. The initiative is to voters in San Juan County, and aimed for the November ballot to impose a new restriction on whale-watch boats and other vessels effective Jan. 1. The initiative would create a 650-yard vessel-free protected area around endangered southern-resident orcas while the whales are in San Juan County waters, with exemptions for law enforcement, research and treaty fishing boats. Backers have until July 8 to get the 1,635 signatures they need to get on the ballot. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Canada’s oil-loving Conservatives bet on climate change indifference
On the issue of climate change, Canada’s Conservatives comprise three factions of skeptics. First are those who dismiss all talk of global warming as mere left-wing alarmism, and therefore something that barely matters at all. Second are those willing to concede the issue matters in some abstract sense but who believe “addressing” it will extract too high a cost on Canada’s economy. Third are those who think it’s worth addressing but are skeptical the policies offered by Justin Trudeau’s Liberal administration in particular will work.  J.J. McCullough reports. (Washington Post)

Canada to spend $15.7B on new coast guard ships, Trudeau says
Canada plans to build up to 18 new coast guard ships at a cost of $15.7 billion in an effort to renew Canada's Coast Guard fleet,  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday. Up to 16 of the ships will be constructed in a fleet renewal project anchored in Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards. Two others — Arctic patrol ships that will be modified for the Canadian Coast Guard — will be built at Irving Shipyards in Nova Scotia. Peter Zimonjic and Andrew Davidson report. (CBC)

Groups to push back against plans for Tacoma gas plant
The fight over fracking is coming to Olympia Wednesday when the public plans to push back against plans for a gas plant in Tacoma. Governor Inslee used to support the plant, but he announced earlier this month that he would oppose the liquefied natural gas plant, and he's apparently not alone in the fight. The Puget Sound Energy “listening session” on the plant is slated for 4:30 p.m., and groups such as the Sierra Club are calling on the public to rally and pack the room to voice opposition to the 8-million-gallon storage plant. (KIRO) See also: 'Deceptive solution' or bridge fuel? Fight over half-built LNG project continues in Tacoma.  Bellamy Pailthorp and Kari Plog report. (KNKX)

Restoration work to continue on Leque Island
The state Department of Fish & Wildlife is preparing to begin the second phase of restoration work this summer at its Leque Island property near Stanwood. The island sits between Skagit Bay and Port Susan along a side channel of the Stillaguamish River. Fish & Wildlife is working on a restoration project to reopen estuary habitat, where freshwater and saltwater mix. The first phase of the work was completed in the fall of 2017. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Thu May 23 2019   
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 2 ft or less in the afternoon. W  swell 7 ft at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds building to 8 ft at  9 seconds after midnight.

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