10/11 Canada geese, Indigenous People's Day, Fairy Cr protest, snow crab, BC LNG, Ostrich Bay Cr, BC trees, suffering trees, goshaw, Cascade R salmon, tsunami modelling, Extinction Rebellion, Skagit dams

Canada Geese [Mick Thompson/BirdNote]

 
Canada Geese - Migratory or Not
Some stay. Some go. Which is which? And why? (BirdNote)

What is Indigenous Peoples' Day?
President Biden became the first U.S. president to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Here’s some of the history behind it. (NY Times)

Judge grants temporary injunction at Fairy Creek, citing economic harm to logging company
A B.C. Court of Appeal judge has granted a temporary injunction at a logging site on southern Vancouver Island, where protesters, police and loggers have been at odds for more than a year. Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein cited the potential economic harm to Teal Jones if there were no injunction in place as the reason for her decision Friday afternoon. Lawyers for Teal Jones appeared in court Friday to argue for an interim injunction against old-growth logging blockades on southern Vancouver Island, while the company appeals a Supreme Court decision last week that put an end to its original injunction. (CBC)

Alaska snow crab harvest slashed by nearly 90% after population crash in a warming Bering Sea 
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game set the 2022 snow crab harvest at the lowest level in more than 40 years, a move to protect populations that appear to have crashed during a period of higher temperatures in the Bering Sea. The snow crab is a mainstay of the Alaska crab boat fleet — much of it based in Washington — and the 2021-22 catch limit of 5.6 million pounds, announced Friday, is down 88% from the previous season. Hal Bernton reports, (Seattle Times)

Coastal GasLink Blasted Again by Province for Environmental Damage
Company could face hefty fines as sediment and contaminants continue to flow into waterways along the pipeline route. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Crews put lid on Kitsap Way project helping remake Bremerton's most polluted creek
The Ostrich Bay Creek under Kitsap Way is being remade with a new bottomless box culvert. Crews Friday helped install concrete lids over the new stream bed, just below Kitsap Way near Highway 3. The $1.7 million project, paid for with a loan from the state public works trust fund board, not only removes a 1927-built culvert susceptible to clogging and collapse but also creates space for better fish passage and hopefully increased salmon runs in the future, state and city officials hope. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

On B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, some of Canada’s oldest living trees escape the chopping block
The treasured high-elevation Dakota Bowl has been slated for auction with BC Timber Sales every year for the last five years. Determined to protect the old-growth forest, home to culturally modified trees, hanging lakes and ancient cedar bear dens, a local conservation group brought new tactics and independent science to the table. Judith Lavoie reports. Photography by Shayd Johnson. (The Narwhal)

Trees, fighters of climate change, are also victims of it
As the weather becomes more extreme, the trees that are synonymous with Washington are suffering. Part 1 of 3 Julie Titone reports. (Everett Herald)

In search of Haida Gwaii’s forest-dwelling hawk, one of the most endangered species on the planet
With no provincial endangered species legislation to rely on, the race is on to find the nests of stads k’un, a genetically unique subspecies of the northern goshawk, before logging and habitat loss causes the brave little bird to vanish forever. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Cascade River salmon fishery further extended
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has extended salmon fishing on the Cascade River to seven days a week through Sunday, Oct. 24 — allowing five more days than previously planned.  The change comes after an early end to tribal fisheries on the river. (Skagit valley Herald)

Indigenous knowledge the cornerstone of new tsunami modelling for Vancouver Island's northwest coast
The results of a collaborative project mapping out tsunami risk between the Strathcona Regional District and the Nuchatlaht and Kyuquot Checlesaht First Nations on Vancouver Island have been released. High-resolution data modelling for the area between Gold River and Cape Scott is now available for the public online. This area is particularly vulnerable to tsunamis, from either an earthquake triggered in the Cascadia subduction zone to the west, or one from the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone to the north. (CBC)

Extinction Rebellion plans two-week 'October Rebellion' in Vancouver streets
The protest group says it will occupy major intersections, bridges and shut down Vancouver International Airport. Cheryl Chan reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission pulled into conflict over dam relicensing
In a Sept. 28 letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney's Office argues that the apparent involvement of the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission in the Skagit River dam relicensing represents conflicts of interest on the part of Seattle. Kimberly Cauvel report. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  219 AM PDT Mon Oct 11 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  NW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 11 ft  at 12 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt becoming S after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/8 Minke whale, Snake dams removal, BC oil gas royalties, bad whale watching, Bears Ears protection, Gold Basin, King Co wastewater, new water bears, BC First Nation settlement

Minke whale

Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Minke whales are members of the baleen or “great” whale family and are the smallest of the rorquals. They are one of the most abundant rorqual in the world, and their population status is considered stable throughout almost their entire range (especially when compared to other species of large whales). The scientific names for minke whales translate to: "winged whale," (Balaenoptera) "sharp snout" (acutorostrata). They received their common name from a Norwegian novice whaling spotter named Meincke, who supposedly mistook a minke whale for a blue whale. (NOAA)

Poll finds many Washington voters support removing Snake River dams
A new poll supported by environmental groups found Washington voters West and East of the Cascades support dam removal. Many Washington voters support a plan to remove four dams on the Lower Snake River, according to a survey conducted for a coalition of environmental groups. The poll found 59% of 800 Washington voters surveyed support a plan to remove the dams in an effort to protect imperiled salmon and steelhead. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

B.C. commits to reviewing oil and gas royalties as experts find system in need of ‘comprehensive overhaul’
‘Little tweaks are not going to cut it’: independent assessment finds an overly complex system that’s inconsistent with commitments to fight climate crisis. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Some whale watchers ‘routinely’ too close to endangered resident orcas, report says
Environmental groups have issued a scathing review of some whale watchers and the lack of enforcement by Transport Canada to protect the endangered southern resident orcas. The groups say some whale-watching companies and recreational fishers in the Salish Sea are “routinely” violating a buffer zone of 400 metres, and sometimes are “pursuing” the orcas into U.S. waters. Darron Closter reports. (Times Colonist)

Biden to restore protections for the Bears Ears monument after Trump downsized it
President Biden will restore the boundaries of Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments at a signing ceremony on Friday, the administration announced on Thursday evening. The Bears Ears National Monument, which was created by President Barack Obama shortly before he left office, will go back to 1.36 million acres acres and Grand Staircase will be restored to 1.87 million acres. Deepa Shivaram reports. (NPR)

At Gold Basin, a river is moved to save endangered salmon
A landslide had been dumping more than 40,000 tons of silt a year into the river. Not anymore. Zachariah Bryan reports. (Everett Herald)

Report identifies over 17 million gallons of untreated wastewater has been spilled into Puget Sound, Lake Washington in recent years
The King County Council’s Regional Water Quality Committee on Wednesday received a key report recommending electrical upgrades, strategies to adjust back-up power and more to prevent future wastewater spills like the failure that led to the spilling of millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into Puget Sound and Lake Washington on January 13, 2021. The report identified that between the East Pine Pump Station, Medina Pump Station, the Richmond Beach Pump Station and the West Point Treatment Plant, over 17,000,000 gallons of untreated wastewater have been accidentally spilt into the Puget Sound and Lake Washington since May 2017. Cameron Sheppard reports. (Auburn Reporter)

Researchers found a new species of water bear fossilized in a hunk of ancient amber
The discovery of an incredibly rare fossil is helping scientists learn more about one of Earth's ancient and most resilient inhabitants: the microscopic tardigrade. Modern tardigrades are eight-legged micro-animals, also known as water bears or moss piglets. They're almost completely missing from the fossil record despite their long evolutionary history and ability to survive extreme conditions, including space. Now, scientists say they've discovered a new species of tardigrade suspended in 16 million-year-old amber — only the third clear tardigrade fossil ever found. Nell
Clark reports. (NPR)

B.C. reaches $65M funding deal with First Nation after Supreme Court ruling
The B.C. government has signed an agreement with a First Nation to provide $65 million in funding to support land restoration and cultural programs, four months after a court ruled the province had breached the nation's rights.d create jobs for band members and business opportunities for companies operating in the region. Nick Wells reports. (Canadian Press)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/8/21: Octopus Friday, hot water dams, new killer whale, sonar tests, coral kill, Yukon salmon, BP biofuels, oil spill, North Van wastewater, NEPA, beluga, dam removal, Bears Ears, wastewater spills, bad whale watching

Now, your weekend tug weather--

West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  252 AM PDT Fri Oct 8 2021   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds building to  5 ft at 8 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening. A slight  chance of rain after midnight. 
SAT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of  rain. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW after midnight. Wind  waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds building to SW 6 ft at  9 seconds after midnight. 
SUN  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 6 ft at  9 seconds building to 8 ft at 9 seconds in the afternoon.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/7 Sablefish, beluga whale, Dungeness crab, NEPA reversal, Washington Wild awards

Sablefish [Seattle Aquarium/Burke Museum]

Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria
Sablefish are a large robust fish with an elongate body and two dorsal fins. They range from Japan north into the Bering Sea and south through Alaska and British Columbia to Mexico, with highest concentrations in Alaska. Sablefish are wide-ranging and often migratory. Adults can be found on mud bottom in depths of 300 to 1,500 m (984-4,900 ft). Commonly caught off the Washington coast by commercial harvesters using otter-trawls, jig handline, and longline gear. Juveniles are occasionally caught by recreational harvesters in Puget Sound, which is a sablefish nursery. (WDFW)

A beluga whale in Puget Sound? Rare visitor startles boaters in first sighting here since 1940
In a flash of white out of the blue, a beluga whale has been seen at least six times around Puget Sound since Sunday, the first such sightings since 1940. It began Oct. 3 with a report from the south end of Fox Island, then another from Point Defiance, and then in Commencement Bay. In the fourth sighting, the whale was reported at West Seattle and on the fifth it was aglow in the waters of the Bremerton Ship Yard, according to Michael Milstein, spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration West Coast Region. (Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Dungeness research aims to predict future harvests
The stars are still out when the work begins – sifting through samples of shore rock to measure crawling young Dungeness crabs...Working for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Environmental Specialist Sarah Grossman and Fisheries Technician Claire Cook have been conducting this survey once a month, on beaches near Skyline Marina and Cornet Bay at Deception Pass State Park since 2018. With this research, they hope to predict what the crab harvest will look like in four years, which is the time it takes for larvae to grow into harvestable-sized crabs. It’s for good reason – Dungeness crabs are the most profitable fishery in the Northwest and an important food source for the Swinomish community. Questen Inghram reports. (Anacortes American)

White House proposes restoring key parts of landmark environmental law, reversing Trump
The White House proposed restoring three core provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, reversing a significant rollback of President Donald Trump. The move received praise from environmentalists but could delay some of the infrastructure plans the Biden administration has in the works. Maxine Joselow reports. (Washington Post)

Washington Wild honors locals for their work to protect Skagit River headwaters
The nonprofit conservation organization Washington Wild looked back last week on efforts to protect the Skagit River headwaters in British Columbia from logging and mining, and rallied supporters to continue that work. During an annual ceremony held Thursday over YouTube, two of the organization’s three awards went to environmental leaders in Skagit County — Scott Schuyler of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and Richard Brocksmith of the Skagit Watershed Council — for their roles in protecting the river. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 AM PDT Thu Oct 7 2021   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming NE in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 7 seconds. A slight chance of  rain after midnight.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/6 Butterfly bush, Tacoma fossil fuels, kelp, estuary price, Tahoma, North Van wastewater, North Cascades leaders, Judge King, oil spill map, Canada media

Butterfly bush [NWCB)

 
Butterfly bush Buddleia davidii
Butterfly bush is an introduced shrub from China that has been widely planted as an ornamental and butterfly plant throughout North America. Unfortunately, this popular garden plant is also highly invasive and spreads profusely by seed into disturbed and natural areas. Butterfly bush is a Class B noxious weed on the Washington State Noxious Weed List. It is on the Non-Regulated Noxious Weed List for King County, Washington. (King County)

Tacoma City Council considering amendments to proposed ban on expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure
Tacoma famously declared a climate emergency two years ago. And the Puyallup Tribe followed suit with an emergency declaration of its own – all aiming to restrict fossil fuel developments in the tideflats and the port at the heart of the city. But Tacoma’s city council is stuck in a holding pattern. A public hearing Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. will provide feedback on eight amendments to a proposed ban on all expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure... A vote by the council is expected toward the end of the month. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX)

New studies aid kelp conservation
Bull kelp is easily recognized by its wavy leaves and long, floating stipes that sometimes wash ashore like slimy green bullwhips. In that sense, it is one of the more familiar types of seaweed in Puget Sound. But as kelp forests decline throughout the region, scientists are finding that there is much about this increasingly rare species that remains a mystery. Eric Wagner reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

A New Squamish Study Puts an Actual Price on Nature
It found a local estuary delivers more than $12 million a year in benefits. And it keeps appreciating. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Why the ancient stories of Mount Rainier matter now
Peter Rainier never set foot on this continent. Some tribal members suggest giving a more fitting name for Washington’s tallest peak. (Crosscut)

Wastewater project delay one of several billion-dollar questions facing Metro Vancouver
The final cost of an already delayed wastewater treatment plant in North Vancouver is almost certain to rise from its $1 billion figure after Metro Vancouver said the contractor "abandoned" the project. The new plant was scheduled to be completed in 2020 for $700 million, but the numbers had already changed to $1 billion in 2023 before Acciona Wastewater Solutions laid off the majority of its workers at the project site. Metro Vancouver had no further updates on the matter this week and Acciona — which also has contracts with the Millennium Line Skytrain extension to Arbutus and the Pattullo Bridge replacement — has not responded to repeated requests for comment. Justin McElroy re[orts. (CBC)

North Cascades Institute, North Cascades National Park get new leadership
For the North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Don Striker will in November replace eight-year Superintendent Karen Taylor-Goodrich, who has retired. For the nonprofit North Cascades Institute — a public education organization sharing headquarters in Sedro-Woolley with the national park and with a learning center nestled on Diablo Lake within the park complex — new Executive Director Bec Detrich took the reins this summer. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

U.S. Senate confirms first Native American federal judge in WA history
The U.S. Senate has voted 55-44 to confirm the lifetime appointment of Lauren J. King for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington on Tuesday, Oct. 5. A citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation located in Oklahoma, King is the fourth Native American federal judge in the country and the first Native American federal judge in Washington state history. Natasha Brennan reports. (McClatchy)

Mapping California’s Oil Spill: Aging Pipes Line the Coast
Ever since a pipeline failure caused at least 126,000 gallons of oil to spill into the Pacific Ocean, threatening a fragile coastal ecosystem and forcing some of Southern California’s most popular beaches to close, officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been scrutinizing satellite imagery to track the oil’s spread. Blacki Migliozzi and Hiroko Tabuchi report. (NY Times) California lawmakers push to ban new drilling in wake of massive oil spill https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/10/05/california-oil-spill-drilling-ban/ Eric Werner reports. (Washington Post)

Canadian media stand united in support of all journalists against online hate, threats and harassment
A strong, diverse media is vital for a well-informed, democratic society. While criticism is an integral part of journalism and democracy, there can be no tolerance for hate and harassment of journalists or for incitement of attacks on journalists for doing their jobs. That these attacks inordinately target women and racialized journalists speaks to the motivation of the people engaging in this behaviour. (The Narwhal)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  217 AM PDT Wed Oct 6 2021   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft  at 10 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning. A slight  chance of tstms. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds. A slight chance of  rain in the evening.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/5 Arum, BP biofuel, PA stormwater, Pipeline Safety Trust, GasLink protest, Yukon salmon, Skagit salmon, coral reef kill, prize in physics

Italian arum [NWCB]

Italian arum Arum italicum
Italian arum is poisonous, harms riparian and other sensitive habitats, and is extremely difficult to control. It has escaped in several counties in western Washington and is invading more areas rapidly. Originally cultivated as a garden ornamental, Italian arum grows in partial to full shade. Although it prefers moist, humumsy soils, Italian arum can grow in nearly any soil and can tolerate drought once established. Italian arum has been escaping cultivation and is now establishing in forests, in disturbed urban areas, near streams and rivers, and in wetlands. Although the noxious weed control community is working hard on a solution, so far infestations around Washington and Oregon have proven nearly impossible to kill. For example, a 2-acre infestation on Lopez Island actually worsened after it was repeatedly mowed, dug, torched (in winter), and then covered with a heavy tarp. (Washington Noxious Weed Control Board)

BP to more than double renewable diesel production at Cherry Point refinery
BP will spend $269 million at the Cherry Point refinery in Whatcom County to produce more renewable diesel, a biofuel, and make other improvements that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 7%, according to a corporate statement. The investment comes as BP, one of the world’s largest oil companies, has been under increasing scrutiny for its historic role in producing, refining and marketing fossil fuels that drive climate change. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Port of Port Angeles accused on EPA rules
The Port of Port Angeles is entering into settlement talks with the Environmental Protection Agency over alleged stormwater-related Clean Water Act violations, some of which port officials say have been addressed. Port commissioners, citing potential litigation at the end of their regular meeting Sept. 28, went into executive session before emerging and unanimously approving, without discussion, Commissioner Connie Beavuais’ motion to reach a resolution without going to court. Paul Gottlieb reports.(Peninsula Daily News)

This Bellingham-based nonprofit getting a ‘transformative’ grant from the U.S. government 
On Wednesday, Sept. 29, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced that it would award $1 million in grant funding to the Pipeline Safety Trust. The trust was founded in the aftermath of the deadly 1999 Olympic gas pipeline explosion in Bellingham’s Whatcom Creek. It has been fighting for over a decade to make sure similar incidents don’t happen. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Pipeline Standoff: Wet’suwet’en Block Effort to Tunnel under Morice River
On Sept. 24, protesters used Coastal GasLink’s own machinery to dig up the rough resource road that connects this junction to a worksite two kilometres beyond. A camp was established at the site and a school bus used to block access. The school bus has since been removed — twice — by RCMP and Coastal GasLink before being returned to its place in the road, which has been roughly repaired by the pipeline company. Amanda Follett Hosgood report. (The Tyee)

Alaska’s vanishing salmon push Yukon River tribes to brink
Two salmon species have all but disappeared from Alaska’s Yukon River this year, prompting the state to shut down fishing in an effort to save them. Nathan Howard and Gillian Flacccus report. (Associated Press)

Salmon fishing seasons extended on Skagit, Cascade rivers
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has extended salmon fisheries on the Skagit and Cascade rivers. The agency announced in news releases Friday that the number of coho salmon returning to the rivers is “sufficient to allow for the recreational salmon season to extend” and make up “for some opportunity lost during the conflict-avoidance closures.” Those closures occur when tribes conduct their fisheries. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Climate change killed 14% of the world’s coral reefs in a decade, study finds
Climate change will kill even more coral reefs if oceans keep getting warmer, scientists warn in a far-reaching study. Ellen Francis reports. (Washington Post)

Nobel Prize in Physics Honors Work on Climate Change
Three scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for work that “laid the foundation of our knowledge of the Earth’s climate and how humanity influences it.” The winners were Syukuro Manabe of Princeton University, Klaus Hasselmann of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany, and Giorgio Parisi of the Sapienza University of Rome. The work of all three is essential to understanding how Earth’s climate is changing and how human behavior is influencing those changes. Cade Metz, Marc Santora and Cora Engelbrecht report. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  214 AM PDT Tue Oct 5 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING  THROUGH THIS EVENING   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 4 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the morning then a  chance of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  S wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SE to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after  midnight. W swell 4 ft at 10 seconds. Rain likely in the evening  then showers and a slight chance of tstms after midnight.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/4 Angel wings, Navy sonar, outer coast killer whales, North Van wastewater, Snake and Columbia water, marine heat wave, seafood shortage, Orange Co spill, floating garbage bins, 'green' Vancouver

Angel Wings

Angel Wings Pleurocybella porrigens
Pleurocybella porrigens is a small, thin, white-fleshed fungus that decomposes wood. This mushroom associated with conifers (particularly Tsuga, the hemlocks), and more specifically, a white-rot fungus (in general, these digest lignin in wood and leave cellulose behind, though they can also digest both - but lignin is less abundant, so it can give the appearance of leaving cellulose behind). In older field guides, this species — which looks a lot like a small oyster mushroom — is listed as edible and good. In more recent guides, this mushroom is accompanied by the warning: not recommended for eating. And according to many credible sources today, the Angel Wing is considered poisonous. (Ultimate Mushroom)

Navy steams ahead with sonar testing despite state opposition, orca impacts
Over the objections of Washington state officials and orca advocates, the U.S. Navy is steaming ahead with a plan for seven more years of testing sonar and explosives in waters off the Northwest coast. The Navy says the piercing noise from its tests and training activities could harm eight species of whales listed under the Endangered Species Act. But Navy officials, backed up by the National Marine Fisheries Service, say the occasional, temporary disturbances won’t threaten the orcas’ or any other species’ survival. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Scientists Found a New Kind of Killer Whale
By analyzing more than 100,000 photographs of killer whales taken off the United States west coast, and assessing where each animal was seen and in whose company, a team of researchers has revealed that there are likely more branches on the killer whale family tree than previously thought. Their work has identified a group of killer whales, known as the outer coast killer whales, that has, until now, gone largely unnoticed. Sarah Keartes reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Contractor lays off workers on $1-billion North Van wastewater plant
An international construction company appears to have abandoned working on a $1-billion wastewater treatment plant in North Vancouver.  The head of the regional federation of municipalities said it learned “without notice” that about 130 of the 180 workers at the project were laid off Wednesday.
Kevin Griffin reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Federal regulators to limit hot water in Snake, Columbia rivers
Federal regulators starting this spring will require dam operators to limit hot water pollution caused by the four Lower Snake River dams. Large reservoirs behind dams contribute to elevated water temperatures that can be harmful to fish, according to environmental groups. Summer water temperatures that spike above 68 degrees Fahrenheit can kill migrating salmon and steelhead. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Marine heat waves could wipe out fish stocks, UBC study finds
The director of UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries says the study highlights the immediate need for Canada to develop ways to deal with extreme temperatures. Brieanna Charliebois reports. (Canadian Press)

Seafood shortage: It’s more complex than just overfishing, insiders say
If you have been following the headlines this past year, you might think there is a dire shortage of B.C. seafood, mostly due to reckless overfishing, and that if we want to save what is left, we should eat less of it. It’s not that things aren’t bad. They are. But they are not bad the way you likely think.  The real story is a combination of decades of habitat loss, climate change, pandemic-related labour shortages, impacts of fish farming and, yes, overfishing. Joanne Sasvari report. (Vancouver Sun)

Crews race to limit damage from major California oil spill
Crews on the water and on shore worked feverishly Sunday to limit environmental damage from one of the largest oil spills in recent California history, caused by a suspected leak in an underwater pipeline that fouled the sands of famed Huntington Beach and could keep the beaches there closed for weeks or longer. An estimated 126,000 gallons (572,807 liters) of heavy crude leaked into the waters off Orange County starting late Friday or early Saturday, when boaters began reporting a sheen in the water, officials said. The pipeline and operations at three off-shore platforms owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp. were shut down Saturday night, CEO Martyn Willsher said. AMY TAXIN AND Christopher Weber report. (Associated Press)

Floating garbage bins help collect trash from Vancouver's waterways
Stationary cleaning machines called seabins are helping clear Vancouver's False Creek of garbage, one scoop of debris at a time. Sadie Caron of Fraser Riverkeeper, the charity behind the project, says the bins are attached to various spots around Granville Island. They skim the surface of the water 24 hours a day with the help of an electric pump to capture any sort of floating debris. (CBC)

In Vancouver’s quest to be the ‘greenest city,’ a cautionary tale
Vancouver had long been an environmentally minded city, full of bicyclists and buses; it also had one of the lowest carbon footprints per person in North America. Becoming the “greenest city in the world” was an aspirational goal, to be sure — but it felt entirely possible. Ten years later, Vancouver is at once a cautionary tale and a qualified success. It shows the limits of what cities can accomplish when it comes to the environment and climate change, as well as how tight budgets and conflicts with provincial and federal governments can get in the way of a progressive city’s ambitious plans. Shannon Osaka reports. (Grist)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  541 AM PDT Mon Oct 4 2021   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt becoming NE 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds subsiding to  6 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell  6 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the evening then  rain after midnight.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/1 Diversity Friday, National Reconciliation Day, Tracy Stone-Manning, BC LNG, Coextinction, cry for help, week in review

 

Aloha National Diversity Friday!
National Diversity Day is "a day to celebrate and embrace who we are, despite our differences, no matter what race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, or disability. A day to reflect on and learn about different cultures and ideologies. A day to vow acceptance and tolerance. A day to consciously address these areas at educational and religious institutions, as well as in the workplace and at home."

Vancouverites come together for National Reconciliation Day
On a day of heavy rain and overcast skies, thousands of orange ribbons in the garden of the Vancouver Art Gallery, each representing a child who died at residential schools across the country, glowed like small, bright flames.The event was one of hundreds held across Canada on a day set aside for the first time this year as a federal statutory holiday. Denise Ryan reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Senate confirms Tracy Stone-Manning as Bureau of Land Management director in party-line vote
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Tracy Stone-Manning to be the director of the Bureau of Land Management in a party-line vote, amid intense opposition from Republicans over her involvement three decades ago with environmental activists who sabotaged an Idaho timber sale. Joshua Partlow reports. (Washington Post)

Coastal GasLink: Two arrested as protests erupt again at B.C. site
An RCMP spokeswoman said two people have been arrested in the past week at the site near Houston, B.C., and Coastal GasLink staff have been unable to work there since Sept. 20. (Canadian Press)

Orcas Are in Trouble. Do Documentaries Help?
VIFF’s ‘Coextinction’ has the courage of its convictions, but it struggles to find hope. Dorothy Woodend reports. (The Tyee)

Opinion: A cry for help


David Horsey writes: "The warming of the seas has raised acidity levels, seriously harmed coral reefs, disrupted the aquatic food chain and made the oceans less hospitable for all the creatures that live in the watery world..." (Seattle Times)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/1/21: Model T, whale hunt, Skagit dams, bag ban, low oxygen, chinook recovery, NW Power Plan, Delta LNG, Fairy Cr protest, boatyard toxins, BC electrification, bird protection, Reconciliation Day

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  251 AM PDT Fri Oct 1 2021   
TODAY  NW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft  at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 7 ft  at 11 seconds. 
SAT  S wind to 10 kt becoming SE in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain in the  afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 14 seconds. 
SUN  NW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft  at 13 seconds.

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