5/12 Bull trout, monitoring herring, underwater noise, WA-BC border, striped dolphin, moth spray, Foss Waterway spill, Trump's lands appointees

Bull trout [Spokesman-Review]

Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus
The bull trout is a char of the family Salmonidae native to northwestern North America. Historically, S. confluentus has been known as the "Dolly Varden" (S. malma), but was reclassified as a separate species in 1980. Bull trout are listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1998) and as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (Wikipedia)


*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
 

Key monitoring of herring near Haida Gwaii cancelled due to coronavirus
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s decision to cancel underwater surveys of the declining herring population near Haida Gwaii is raising alarm among those concerned for the survival of the species.  Pacific herring stocks have declined an estimated 60 per cent over the past four years, according to biomass surveys done by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which is responsible for monitoring the health of the species and setting quotas for fishing licences. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, dive surveys, in which divers count the number of eggs in an area to estimate the number of fish that will spawn, are being replaced with surface measurements to make biomass forecasts. Natalia Balcerzak reports. (The Narwhal)

Pandemic gives Pacific Northwest whales a respite from din of underwater noise 
American and Canadian marine scientists -- and one talented dog -- are seizing an unexpected opportunity presented by the coronavirus pandemic. They are trying to establish whether Pacifc Northwest whales benefit from the current drop in boat traffic and underwater noise. Stay-home edicts have significantly reduced recreational boat trips and ferry crossings this spring. Commercial whale watching tours and the cruise ship season remain on hold. Large cargo ships continue to come and go with slightly reduced frequency. Noise and vessel disturbance are considered major factors in the decline of the Northwest's endangered resident orcas alongside the other big factors of dwindling food supply -- chiefly, chinook salmon -- and toxic pollution. Tom Bnnse reports. (NW News Network) See also: Measuring noise reduction in the ocean during the pandemic  (Dalhousie University)

B.C. health officials adamant Canada-U.S. border should remain closed to visitors
B.C. health officials are adamant the Canada-U.S. border should not reopen to visitors anytime soon as the clock ticks down on the agreement currently banning non-essential travel set to expire May 21. Canadian and American officials are in ongoing talks over an expected increase in cross-border travel as economies begin to restart. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says traffic over the shared border is bound to increase as states and provinces reopen shuttered businesses, even if the Canada-U.S. ban on non-essential travel remains unchanged. But those discussions are being met with growing calls from the provinces not to open up the flow of tourists across the line. Tanya Fletcher reports. (CBC) See also: Increased border traffic likely as Canada, U.S. economies reopen: Freeland  (Canadian Press)

Striped dolphin found on Haida Gwaii more than 1,000 km north of normal range
A  striped dolphin rarely spotted north of California was discovered on a Haida Gwaii beach by a woman walking her dog last week, more than 1,000 km north of its normal range. "This particular animal of that species that stranded in Haida Gwaii is the northernmost record I'm aware of," said John Ford, a UBC zoologist and emeritus whale research scientist with the Pacific Biological Station of Fisheries and Oceans Canada...Veterinarians are now doing a necropsy at the B.C. Animal Health Centre to determine how it died. Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC)

Plane to spray 1,300 acres this week to kill gypsy moths
Over 655 gallons of soil bacteria are slated to rain down on parts of Woodway and an Everett neighborhood this week. The state Department of Agriculture will spray nearly 1,300 acres with an insecticide — dropped from 100 to 200 feet in the air by a plane — to stop an invasive moth species from spreading and gobbling up forest foliage. The treatment is scheduled for Friday, but department spokesperson Karla Salp said that could change depending on the weather. The state will send out an update to nearby residents via text, email, Facebook and phone announcement at 5 a.m. Friday before the spraying begins and again when it’s finished.“Anybody who wants to avoid being sprayed should stay inside,” Salp said. Julia-Grace Sanders reports. (Everett Herald)

State investigating source of sewage spill that prompted health warnings on Foss Waterway
The state Department of Ecology is investigating the source of a sewage spill that rendered the Thea Foss Waterway off-limits recently. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department was notified of the spill on April 24 and first tested the water three days later. “We tried to contact our lab the same day to see if their staff could process a sample over the weekend. We could not reach them,” health department spokesperson Steve Metcalf told The News Tribune. “We decided to do the water sample Monday, April 27, when we knew the lab could process a sample. We received the results on April 29 with the high bacteria levels.” he health department issued a warning advisory to stay out of the water the day it received the results. That advisory was lifted May 6.Allison Needles reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Lawsuit Seeks Removal Of Trump Lands Appointees
In a federal lawsuit filed Monday, conservation groups allege the Trump administration's continued use of temporary appointees to lead large federal lands agencies is a violation of federal law and the Constitution's "advice and consent" clause. The suit, filed by the Washington, D.C.-based Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility or PEER and the Idaho-based Western Watersheds Project, takes aim at the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Neither agency has had permanent, Senate-confirmed directors during the entire Trump presidency. Peter Siegler reports. (NPR)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  314 AM PDT Tue May 12 2020   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the morning then  showers likely in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell  5 ft at 8 seconds. Showers likely in the evening then a chance of  showers after midnight.




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