12/3 Cockle, Enbridge pipe, bird flu, Royal BC Museum, Hope Slough, enviro rule challenge

 

Editor's note: Today in the nonprofit world it's "Giving Tuesday." I've never asked you, the reader of News and Weather, to donate to this weekday blog which is free to read but I've ask you to donate to the Salish Current which provides local news, essays and news clips related to Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. The Current is also free to read but pays its freelance reporters. News and Weather is free to read because it has been curated and posted over the years by one volunteer— me —as a community service at no cost. The Current has been published and edited for the last four-and-a-half years by two volunteers —Amy Nelson and me — with the goal of establishing a sustainable, community-based local news publication that is free to read. "Free to read" does not mean free from cost, and that's how a cause like Salish Current, which is also a business, comes to "Giving Tuesday" and the two-month 2xMatching campaigns I've asked you to donate to. So, I'll do it again on this "Giving Tuesday." Please support local news that all can read without a paywall with a monthly or one-time donation to the Salish Current 2xLocal Match challenge. Thank you! Mike Sato.

Cockle [Dave Cowles]

Nutall's Cockle Clinocardium nuttallii
Nuttall's cockle is a large edible saltwater clam native to the coastlines of California and the Pacific Northwest,This species can be found from the Bering Sea to Southern California and has been used by the indigenous peoples of California and the Pacific Northwest as food.(Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Clyde Ford to speak on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Enbridge Drops the Westcoast Connector Pipeline
Enbridge says it will not develop the Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission line, one of several pipelines previously slated for northern B.C., after its environmental certificate expired last week. The Westcoast Connector received provincial approval in 2014 to carry gas from northeast B.C. to a liquefaction facility on the coast for overseas shipping. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Worried about bird flu? Here’s what you need to know
The H5N1 avian flu virus has killed tens of thousands of wild birds and devastated poultry flocks. Human cases are rare, but experts say the virus poses a pandemic risk. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Royal B.C. Museum unveils new, old exhibits
Stunning wildlife photography, Indian chintz textiles, migration journeys of Chinese Canadians and the music of resistance and change are among new exhibits coming to the Royal British Columbia Museum in 2025. Darron Koster reports. (Times Colonist)

First Nations sound alarm about mysterious and smelly discharge flowing into the Hope Slough
The Cheam and Sqwá First Nations in the Fraser Valley are sounding the alarm for the second time in a few months about mysterious discharge flowing into the Hope Slough in Chilliwack, B.C., that they say is toxic.  Cheam First Nation biologist Mike Pearson said the cloudy, foaming substance running through a ditch into the main stem of the slough smells like a combination of chemicals and sewage. (CBC)

Court case in North Dakota calls federal environmental review regime into question
A lawsuit before a North Dakota federal district court could upend nearly five decades of environmental regulations affecting infrastructure projects. Mary Steurer reports. (North Dakota Monitor)

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  240 AM PST Tue Dec 3 2024    
TODAY  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 13 seconds.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W  5 ft at 12 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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12/2 Decorator crab, NW salmon, kokanee, catch-and-release, Everett sewage, saddle patches, 'dead salmon hat,' YVR sea level rise, small tree harvest, fossil tracks, whale watch rules

Editor's note: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks to News and Weather readers who helped us reach our first $15,000 2xNewsMatch goal supporting Salish Current's open-access, local news initiative. We have a second 2xLocalMatch goal of $15,000 put up by board members, advisors and a local business we want to match with your donations by Dec. 31. When we do, we'll have a total of $60,000 supporting the Current's freelance reporting and its no-paywall-to-read publication. You will always read the News and Weather at no cost— will you support the Salish Current? Thank you! Mike Sato.

Graceful Decorator crab [Rebecca Reader-Lee]

Graceful Decorator crab Oregonia gracilis
This crab decorates more liberally than any of the other decorator crabs in this area. During decoration, pieces of material are attached to specialized hooked setae and also interact with pappose setae. The crab's chelae are small and delicate. In males the chelipeds are longer than the walking legs, but in females they are shorter. Will eat carrion. Predators include Pacific halibut. In Puget Sound area, eggs may be carried during most seasons. Recently hatched eggs are orange-red; eggs nearly ready to hatch are reddish-brown. (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Indigenous Fashion Show highlight of Native American Heritage Month

2024 saw some good news for Pacific Northwest salmon
Zombie kokanee tumbled downstream as new waves of crimson fish dashed through the riffles making the journey to their spawning grounds. The creek was alive with hundreds of these landlocked sockeye amid the biggest return of the salmon in the Lake Sammamish watershed in a decade...In addition to these little red freshwater fish, some oceangoing salmon have returned in big numbers. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

King County’s little red fish swims back from brink of extinction
It’s been a banner year for kokanee salmon, which nearly disappeared from Lake Sammamish, east of Seattle. More of the little red fish have spawned in streams above the lake, King County’s second largest, in 2024 than at any other time in a decade.Kokanee are sockeye salmon that spend their whole lives in freshwater, rather than migrating to the ocean and back like most salmon. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Catch-and-release fishing causing many salmon to die. Here's how to fix the problem, say UBC researchers
A six-year UBC study finds injuries from hooks, nets and handling as leading to high mortality rates of coho and Chinook salmon. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Everett water pollution facility’s new permit aims to protect salmon
The state Department of Ecology last month approved a water quality permit that cleared the way for Everett’s Water Pollution Control Facility to better monitor PBDE chemicals found in flame retardant that harms Chinook salmon. Eliza Aronson reports. (Everett Herald)

For Killer Whales, Saddle Patches are Like Fingerprints
Each killer whale has a distinct pattern of pigmentation behind its dorsal fin. How do these patterns vary around the world? Marina Wang reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Orcas revive 'dead salmon hat' trend from the 1980s
Researchers in Washington have noticed at least one orca balancing salmon on its head in Puget Sound this fall, taking the dead fish for a ride and possibly snacking on it.  Darron Cloister reports. (Times Colonist)

Rising sea levels could put Vancouver’s airport underwater
YVR — the second busiest airport in Canada — sits on an island that could be flooded due to climate change, a new Senate committee report warns. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal)

How Harvesting Small Trees Could Create a Future for BC Forestry
Thinning in planted forests can be beneficial for ecosystems and industry. So why isn’t the province doing it yet? Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee)

95-million-year-old fossil tracks found in northeastern B.C., says paleontologist
Track may have come from a 'very big bird or else a bird-like dinosaur' (CBC)

New rules for whale watching
Beginning Jan 1, 2025, boaters in Washington state will be required to stay 1000 yards away from Southern Residents. The distance is based on best available science showing the harmful impact of noise and disturbance on the ability of Southern Residents to find and catch their prey. Orca Network hosts a free webinar about the new rule on Dec 3., 6-8 p.m. with guest speakers from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Register here.  https://givebutter.com/STWRulewebinar Also: On Dec. 10, The Whale Trail hosts a program featuring Capt. Alan Myers, WDFW Enforcement, speaking about new distance regulations and researchers Mark Sears and Maya Sears discussing their fieldwork and recent encounters with the orcas, including a rare superpod in October. Halls of Fauntleroy, 9131 Fauntleroy Way SW, 7 p.m. Tickets.

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PST Mon Dec 2 2024    
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft  at 4 seconds and W 5 ft at 14 seconds.  
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 2 ft at 4 seconds and W  5 ft at 13 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told