12/19 Holly, biodiversity agreement, Fraser salmon, acoustic smog, chicken flu, Skagit culverts, Intalco smelter, AK crabs

English holly

English holly Ilex aquifolium
English holly is native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. It is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the Unite States.

Biodiversity agreement to protect planet reached at UN conference in Montreal
Negotiators in Montreal have finalized an agreement to halt and reverse the destruction of nature by 2030, as the COP15 talks enter their final official day...The goals include protecting 30 per cent of the world's land, water and marine areas by 2030, as well as the mobilization, by 2030, of at least $200 billion US per year in domestic and international biodiversity-related funding from all sources, both public and private. There is also a pledge to reduce subsidies deemed harmful to nature by at least $500 billion by 2030, while having developed countries commit to providing developing countries with at least $20 billion per year by 2025, and $30 billion per year by 2030. (The Canadian Press)

Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 4: The death of a thousand cut-offs
The plight of wild salmon and the waters that support them is about big things but also a lot of little, unassuming places: creeks and sloughs and flooded fields and braided side channels. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current)  Please support not-for-profit community news that's free to read, free from ads today.

B.C. researchers aim to clear up acoustic smog impacting endangered killer whales
University of British Columbia engineers are working to help clear up the acoustic smog that hinders endangered orcas' ability to gather information vital to their survival. Chronic underwater noise from shipping can drown out sounds marine mammals — such as the southern resident killer whales — use and rely on to communicate with each other, navigate, avoid danger or locate their prey. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer/Island Insider)

A 3.5-million-pound problem: More than a million chickens near Pasco have bird flu
More than a million chickens at a farm in Franklin County, Washington, are set to be destroyed because of bird flu. Officials are deliberating how to transport, bury, compost, or incinerate the birds. Anna King reports. (NW News Network)

Grant money awarded for fish passage projects
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded $1.23 million to the Skagit River System Cooperative to find and repair barriers to fish passage throughout the Skagit River watershed. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Intalco smelter restart falls through as buyer backs out
Talks to restart the curtailed Intalco aluminum smelter in Ferndale have ended, with the potential buyer, Blue Wolf Capital Partners, withdrawing from negotiations earlier this week. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN) See also: Intalco restart: can ‘green’ aluminum get ‘clean’ power? Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current, 7/21/22)

Crabbers, fishermen seek US aid after disaster declaration
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s disaster declaration for certain salmon and crab fisheries in Washington and Alaska opens the door for financial relief as part of an omnibus spending bill being negotiated by U.S. lawmakers. (Associated Press)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  254 AM PST Mon Dec 19 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 20 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. NW swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. A  slight chance of snow in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  E wind 20 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 4 ft. NW swell  4 ft at 7 seconds. A slight chance of snow in the evening then a  chance of snow after midnight.

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