1/16 Ladybug, Boldt at 50, BP land purchase, GasLink conviction, GasLink flooding, fishing reg power, BC invasives, fish songs, iron fertilization, evolution

Seven-Spotted Ladybug [Bird Watching HQ]

 

 Seven-Spotted Ladybug Coccinella septempunctata
You will find this ladybug in many different habitats, including meadows, fields, gardens, and forests. Almost everyone loves the Seven-spotted Ladybug because of the massive amounts of aphids they eat. This makes them very useful in controlling the pest population of aphids in grasslands and farms. Surprisingly, this ladybug species is not native to Washington. They were introduced here from Europe as a biological control against aphids. Interestingly, while they are thriving in North America, Seven-spotted Ladybugs are declining in their native ranges in Europe. (Bird Watching HQ)

How the Boldt decision 50 years ago remade Pacific Northwest fishing
The Boldt decision of 1974 was the result of sacrifices made by Native fishers and their families who were jailed and beaten while defending their rights to fish. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

BP bought a sacred place. Now Lummi Nation is preparing again to fend off development
Tribal leaders opposed the $50 million sale, which came as a surprise to them. They want the assurance that Xwe’chi’eXen (pronounced wuh-chee-uh-kin), which for thousands of years has supported fishing, ceremony and social gatherings, would be protected in perpetuity. BP’s purchase wouldn’t be the first time Lummi Nation has seen a massive corporation keen on this land adjacent to a coveted deep-water cove. In 2016, Lummi Nation, with support from other Northwest tribes and nonprofits, prevailed in a yearslong battle to protect Xwe’chi’eXen from what would have been North America’s largest coal terminal by asserting their treaty-protected right to fish. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

BC Court Convicts Three Indigenous Land Defenders
Three Indigenous land defenders charged more than two years ago with defying a court order have been found guilty of criminal contempt in B.C. Supreme Court. Justice Michael Tammen, who delivered his decision this morning, will now consider an application by all three to stay the charges based on alleged misconduct by RCMP officers during the arrests, which occurred along the Coastal GasLink pipeline route in Wet’suwet’en territory on Nov. 19, 2021.  Amanda Follett Hosgood (The Tyee)

‘No excuse’: feds withheld key information when a Coastal GasLink site flooded
Documents reveal Fisheries and Oceans Canada was aware of numerous issues at a pipeline construction site on Wet’suwet’en territory but did not disclose information to concerned organizations or the media.  Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

A Fight Over a Fishing Regulation Could Help Tear Down the Administrative State
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday over whether to overturn a key precedent on the power of executive agencies. Adam Liptak reports. (NY Times)

B.C. waterways under threat from invasive mussels and parasites
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is concerned about a lack of funding to prevent invasive zebra mussels and to monitor for whirling disease that can decimate fish. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Fish songs: Scientists race to capture ocean soundscapes before they're drowned out
The sounds fish make are poorly understood, but advances in passive acoustic listening could pave the way for understanding and managing underwater ecosystems like never before. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Iron Fertilization Isn’t Going to Save Us
The controversial geoengineering technique can defer, at best, a few years’ worth of emissions. And that’s ignoring the potential side effects. Jack McGovan reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Can Animals Evolve Fast Enough to Keep Up with Climate Change?
The world is always changing, leaving plants and animals everywhere to adapt to new habitats and living conditions. Evolution offers a pathway for life to adapt to these changes, but it takes time. So as human-caused climate change increases the rate at which the environment is changing, the big question is, can evolution keep up? Brian Owens reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  302 AM PST Tue Jan 16 2024    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT    
TODAY  E wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 14 seconds.  
TONIGHT  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell  3 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening then rain  after midnight.

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