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| Whimbrel [Audubon] |
A robust, large shorebird with a very long, curved bill and relatively long neck and legs. The wings are long and pointed; the tail is short. Whimbrels probe with their long bills into mudflats or wet sand for invertebrates such as crabs, walking slowly through areas where water is very shallow. Flocks moving in migration, or between roosting and feeding areas, vocalize often. Males sing and display on and above nesting territories in the arctic, often calling loudly when they spot predators or intruders. (All About Birds)
Human Population Growth Threatens Endangered Whales
Population growth is threatening efforts to save Southern Resident killer whales, whose decline is not being treated with the urgency the crisis demands, officials said in a task force meeting in Washington state Monday. The Puget Sound area surrounding the Salish Sea is expected to be home to almost 6 million more people by 2050, which would add between 33 and 150 square miles of paved area, according to the Washington Department of Commerce. “Population growth is the top challenge for conserving habitat,” Jeff Davis, assistant director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s habitat program, said Monday at the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force meeting. Karina Brown reports. (Courthouse News Service)
Bombs, guns and sea lions on the Columbia River
On the west coast of North America is an ecological puzzle that has become unexpectedly complicated. It’s the story of oceans, rivers, salmon and survival; also bombs, guns and billion dollar infrastructures. Everyone wants a piece of the prize. Chris Morgan and Matt Martin report. (KUOW)
Settlement is ‘an elegant solution to a 100-year-old problem’
A new federal court settlement outlines specific steps to restore salmon habitat in the Snohomish River estuary as a way of addressing the polluted legacy on Everett’s waterfront. The consent decree that the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday focuses on the Port of Everett’s Blue Heron Slough project. The 353-acre area will be familiar to drivers who have noticed large earthen mounds off the east side of I-5 between downtown Everett and Marysville. The proposed agreement obligates the port and the U.S. Navy to invest in the habitat project to address historical pollution to Everett’s Port Gardner. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)
2 more gray whales washed ashore on Washington beaches
Two gray whales were found washed ashore in western Washington this past weekend. That brings the number of gray whales found dead along the Washington state shore to 27 in 2019. Calambokidis said a second gray whale was found near Port Ludlow. It was towed Sunday and will be examined Monday. Washington isn't the only state to see an increase in stranded whales. About 70 whales have been found dead along the West Coast, from California to Alaska. Another five whales have been found on British Columbia beaches. Elizabeth Eisele reports. (KING)
Fishing-related sediment choking out B.C.’s sea sponges: study
Fishing activity is choking the delicate glass sea sponges along British Columbia’s northern coast and a report says the sediment risks killing an ecosystem if they die off. The study, published in the journal Marine Ecology, says activities such as bottom trawling, where a weighted net is dragged across the sea floor, can smother the sponges by clogging their internal filtration system. The authors, including biologists at the University of Alberta, studied three species of glass sponges found at depths from 30 to 200 metres in the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. (Canadian Press)
Rick Steves launches annual million-dollar commitment to carbon neutral travel
Edmonds-based travel authority Rick Steves has announced a new Climate Smart Commitment aimed at offsetting the carbon emitted by its tour members. In an announcement, Steves said he has seen the effects of climate change around the world, and he is passionate about doing what he can to slow those changes down. Starting in spring 2019, Steves’ company will donate $1 million annually to fund climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry, and conservation projects in underdeveloped countries. A portion of this money will also support advocacy organizations in the U.S. whose work is crucial to sustaining climate-smart efforts around the world. (My Edmonds News)
Canada needs to triple ocean protection to protect habitats: report
An environmental group says Canada needs to up its game on protecting its oceans. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says in a report that while there has been progress in recent years, recommendations from international scientific bodies suggest there's more work to do. "At least 30 per cent should be protected if we want to ensure all the habitats are protected and that we're securing the future of healthy oceans," Sabine Jessen, director of the group's ocean program, said Monday. The report says protecting ocean areas includes banning oil, gas or mineral projects, not dumping waste and ruling out bottom-trawling fisheries. Bob Weber reports. (Canadian Press)
Derelict crab pot workshops offered in Clallam, Jefferson
The Clallam Marine Resources Committee will offer four workshops in Jefferson and Clallam counties as part of a granted-funded outreach program designed to reduce the number of derelict crab pots. At the workshops, presenters will talk about state crabbing regulations and seasoned crabbers will discuss their tricks of the trade with demonstrations of proper crab pot-rigging practices. Programs are free but registration is required. To register visit the Clallam Marine Resources Committee website or Jefferson Marine Resources Committee website. Clallam Marine Resources Committee’s workshops are June 11 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the John Wayne Marina, 2577 W. Sequim Bay Road, and June 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Carver Room of the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St. (Peninsula Daily News)
Tough catch restrictions won’t take bite out of B.C. salmon fishing experience
The sign that welcomes anglers to Campbell River, B.C., "The Salmon Capital of the World," isn't going anywhere this summer despite tough, new federal catch restrictions protecting prized chinook salmon, says Murray Whelan, president of Tyee Marine and Fishing Supplies. In April, Federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced a recreational catch-and-release fishery until mid-July to allow maximum numbers of chinook salmon to reach their spawning grounds, followed by catch retention limits of up to two chinook depending on the fishing area and time of year. "There's still lots of opportunity that's for sure," says Whelan, whose Campbell River fish and tackle shop has been selling the hooks and lures outfitting countless fishing stories for almost 70 years. He said catch and release doesn't stop people from getting out on the water and hooking a salmon. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)
Saying it’s offensive, the Nooksack Tribe wants the state to change this creek’s name
The Nooksack Indian Tribe wants the state to change the name of Squaw Creek in north Whatcom County. The word “squaw,” is offensive George Swanaset Jr. wrote to the Washington state Committee on Geographic Names. It is viewed as a derogatory term by the Nooksack people specifically and by native people in general, according to Swanaset Jr., who is the tribe’s cultural/natural resource director. Tribal leaders said the name should be changed back to what it was originally, which was Páatstel Creek. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)
Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 300 AM PDT Tue Jun 4 2019
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after midnight. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of showers after midnight.
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