9/9 Clingfish. bat disease, green wash Trump, banging sea lions, Prince Rupert port, orca pledge, counting predators

 

Northern clingfish [Sound Waters Stewards]

Northern clingfish Gobiesox meandricus
Common in tide pools or rocky areas; clings to undersides of rocks or to kelp. Feeds on limpets and other mollusks, amphiopods, isopods, and mysids. In late winter to early spring female attaches concentric rings of yellow eggs to undersides of rock. Male guards egg mass. Southeastern Alaska to southern California. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

Bat disease edges closer to Skagit County
The bat-killing disease white-nose syndrome is edging closer to Skagit County, with infected bats recently found in Snohomish and Chelan counties, according to state and federal wildlife agencies. The disease, which was first noted on the East Coast in 2006, has killed millions of bats of various species, all of which are important because they help keep insect populations in balance. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Trump, Calling Himself ‘the No. 1 Environmental President,’ Green Washes His Record
President Trump, who has vowed to exit the Paris Agreement on climate change, loosened restrictions on toxic air pollution, rolled back clean water protections and removed climate change from a list of national security threats, stood in front of supporters in Jupiter, Fla., on Tuesday and declared himself “a great environmentalist.”Mr. Trump was speaking at an official presidential event, where he endorsed a 10-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling off the state’s coastline as well as the Georgia and South Carolina coasts — a feat of political jujitsu, since his administration is the one that proposed lifting the moratorium. Annie Karni and Lisa Friedman report. (NY Times)

B.C. fisherman fined $8K for throwing explosive at sea lions
A  B.C. fisherman was fined $8,000 last month and banned from possessing explosives for three years after he threw an explosive device into a group of sea lions in March 2019. Video footage posted to social media last year showed Allan Marsden throwing what is known as a "bear banger" off the side of a boat near Hornby Island in British Columbia. The video showed a large number of sea lions that were swimming near the vessel becoming startled and then swimming quickly away after the device exploded in their midst. (Canadian Press)

Proposed Prince Rupert port expansion: 7 things you need to know
Ridley Island Export Logistics Park would clear more than 100 hectares of rainforest and wetlands — potentially home to 14 species at risk — to accommodate the growing container shipping business. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Commercial and recreational boaters asked to“Take The Pledge” to protect pregnant orcas
National and regional conservation groups and respected environmental experts submitted a letter on Sept. 2 to all U.S. whale-watch operators requesting them to “Take The Pledge” and make a commitment to suspend viewing of the Southern resident orca population, effective immediately. The conservation groups include Friends of the San Juans; Natural Resources Defense Council; Seattle Aquarium; The Whale Trail; and Washington Environmental Council. (Islands Sounder)

Being Frank: Tribes, state team up on harbor seal survey
Lorraine Loomis writes: "What we don’t know about populations of harbor seals and California sea lions in western Washington could be hurting salmon, orcas and other marine species — as well as fishing communities and economies — far more than we think. It’s estimated that seals and sea lions eat about 1.4 million pounds annually of threatened Puget Sound chinook and take six times more salmon than Indian and non-Indian fisheries combined." (NW Indian Fisheries Commission)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Wed Sep 9 2020   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell  4 ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  E wind to 10 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 3 ft at 12 seconds.

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