11/28 Maize, orcas, chinook threshold, at-risk fish, WA fish farming, Dungeness crab, BC logging, funding lag, new Salish Sea map, Esquimalt Harbour

 

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Maize [Franz Eugen Köhler]

Maize
Maize also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by Indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The leafy stalk of the plant produces pollen inflorescences (or "tassels") and separate ovuliferous inflorescences called ears that when fertilized yield kernels or seeds, which are fruits. The term maize is preferred in formal, scientific, and international usage as a common name because it refers specifically to this one grain, unlike corn, which has a complex variety of meanings that vary by context and geographic region. (Wikipedia)

‘A slumber party for orcas’: Incredible video shows endangered ‘superpod’ in Salish Sea
Steven Rice captured an incredible sight in the Salish Sea Wednesday afternoon as a large group of endangered southern resident killer whales stunned onlookers on shore near Seattle. April Lawrence reports. (CHEK)

Chinook threshold decreased for endangered orcas
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has decreased the number of chinook salmon it allocates each year to feed Southern Resident orca whales. The number is important because added conservation measures to ensure adequate food for the Southern Residents can only be put in place if that number is not reached. The council manages the commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries for about 119 species in federal waters off the West Coast. Racquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

The federal government is less likely to protect an at-risk fish if people like to eat it
When a fish is listed under the species at risk registry, federal protection measures kick in. But the vast majority of at-risk fish that are commercially valuable never get that designation, data shows. Jenn Thornhill Verma report. (The Narwhal)

Fish farming in WA goes back millennia — how will it survive?
....Traditional cultural ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest have long included forms of aquaculture, like clam gardens, where people create optimal habitat for the mollusks in hopes of boosting productivity. Today, it’s one piece of the complex, ever-evolving picture of fish farming in Washington state. But the commercial finfish farming of today shares little in common with the traditional Indigenous methods that long preceded it. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Here’s why the West Coast Dungeness crab season has been delayed
Oregon’s most valuable commercial fishery, Dungeness crab, will have its season delayed from its traditional Dec. 1 start date because of low meat yields. Testing shows the crabs in some ocean areas off the West Coast don’t have enough meat in them to satisfy the commercial market. In some areas, testing also showed elevated levels of the naturally occurring toxin domoic acid, which can make the crabs unsafe to eat. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB)

BC Timber Sales plans to log old-growth rainforest, home to endangered caribou herd
The B.C. government has spent millions in efforts to save the imperilled herd, even as it prepares to log its critical habitat. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Giant trees continue to fall amid old growth funding lag for B.C. First Nations
British Columbia has asked First Nations if they want old-growth forests protected from logging, to allow time for long-term planning for conservation and sustainable development, but advocates say it has yet to fund the process on a large scale. In the meantime, some of the biggest and oldest trees in the province are being cut down. Breena Owen reports. (The Canadian Press)

Big picture view of the Salish Sea emerges in richly detailed map
Jeff Clark thought the existing maps of the Salish Sea didn’t have enough detail. So he set out to make a much more detailed map, “to increase the geographic literacy of the area.” This meant not only showing the natural features, but also the human-made ones. And not just cities — he thought it was important to include details like the traditional lands of coastal First Nations. The result is The Essential Geography of The Salish Sea, a wall-sized map that gives viewers a “big picture view” of the Salish Sea bioregion, which stretches from Puget Sound near Seattle to the Pantheon Mountain Range, 300 kilometres up the coast from Vancouver. John Mackie reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Esquimalt Harbour among the most expensive cleanups in Canada's history
More than $2 billion has been spent on Canada's five most contaminated sites so far, and it's anticipated they will cost taxpayers billions more in the coming years. Emily Blake reports. (The Canadian Press)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  207 AM PST Mon Nov 28 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 8 ft  at 11 seconds. A chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  E wind 15 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft  at 14 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening.

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