8/4 Osprey, illegal shooting, Site C dam fined, toxic chemical list, planting trees, rabbit disease, ancient salmon fisheries, week in review

Osprey [Marc Fasol/All about Birds]

Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. (All About Birds)

New study reveals illegal shooting of eagles and other protected birds
Illegal shooting along power lines is the leading cause of death for many protected bird species in Idaho and its neighboring states, according to new research from Boise State University. Between 2019 and 2022, the research team collected a total of 410 dead birds along 120 miles of power lines in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Oregon. Mia Maldonado reports. (Washington State Standard)

Site C dam builder fined $1.1 million for discharging contaminated wastewater
In B.C.’s Peace River, home to at-risk species, more than three million litres of wastewater contained a concentration of aluminum ‘acutely lethal’ to fish. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Conservationists Push EPA to Add 1,000+ Pollutants to 'Outdated' List of Toxic Chemicals
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's official documentation, no toxic pollutants have emerged in the United States in nearly five decades—and two advocacy groups on Monday demanded that the agency add more than 1,000 chemicals to its list to bring the inventory up to date. Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA) and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a formal legal petition with a list of industrial and commercial pollutants—many of which have been outlawed in other countries—that they want the EPA to formally acknowledge as toxic. Julia Conley reports. (Common Dreams)

Republicans want to plant a trillion trees. Scientists are skeptical.
New research finds that planting a trillion trees would have a minimal effect on combating climate change. Maxine Joselow reports. (Washington Post) 

State's first case of rabbit hemorrhagic disease in a wild rabbit detected in Island County
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced July 21 the state’s first known case of rabbit hemorrhagic disease in a wild rabbit. Department staff picked up the dead rabbit, a non-native Eastern cottontail, near Langley on July 6. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Ancient salmon fisheries could help restore declining modern fish populations
Genome BC is working with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation along with archaeologists from SFU and UBC to study DNA from salmon bones in ancient middens, refuse piles that were left behind by ancient seafood harvesters. They found a significant number of male Chum salmon in all the sites they studied, suggesting they were selectively harvested, preserving the females to maintain future stocks. Grant Warkentin reports. (MyPowellRiverNow)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 8/4/23: 'Satchmo,' ocean temps, Pebble Mine, drought, Site C dam, BC wildfires, ticks, ocean heat, toxic pollutant list, dam fined.

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  214 AM PDT Fri Aug 4 2023   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. Patchy fog in  the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 20 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft after midnight.  W swell 3 ft at 6 seconds. 
SAT  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 3 ft  at 5 seconds. Patchy fog. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at 6 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 3 to 5 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 3 ft at 6 seconds.

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