Salish Sea News Week in Review October 2, 2020

 

Aloha World Smile Friday!
World Smile Day is dedicated to the smiley face, which was created by Harvey Ball in 1963. He also came up with the idea for World Smile Day, which was first held in 1999, two years before his death. Following his death, the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation was created, with the slogan "improving the world, one smile at a time". The foundation's goal in raising awareness for World Smile Day is to "encourage smiles and acts of kindness around the world". The foundation also raises money to support children's causes.

Judge hears lawsuit over fish farms
Whether Cooke Aquaculture’s plan to raise native steelhead at fish farms in Puget Sound is a simple business transition or a complex threat to the marine ecosystem is being debated in King County Superior Court.

Controversial Discovery Islands fish farms pose 'minimal risk' to wild salmon, DFO says
The battle to have 18 open-net fish farms removed from a critical salmon migration route is heading for more consultation after Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced they present little risk to wild Fraser River salmon stocks, which are in serious decline.

Another baby orca born to J pod — the second this month
Another baby orca has been born to J pod, the Center for Whale Research confirmed Friday morning. It’s the second calf born this month for the endangered southern resident orcas that frequent Puget Sound.

More female southern resident killer whales needed for population growth: scientists
The addition of a new male calf to a critically endangered pod of southern resident killer whales has experts happy, yet disappointed because it won’t further the population of the orcas.

‘Super-Enzyme’ Speeds Up Breakdown of Plastic, Researchers Say
A new cocktail of enzymes that speeds up the degradation of plastic offers a step forward in finding a new form of recycling that is faster, is more affordable and works on a larger scale than current methods, British and American researchers said this week.

British Columbia’s Seamounts Are Becoming Uninhabitable
In the northeast Pacific, the upper 3,000 meters of water has lost 15 percent of its oxygen over the past 60 years, and the top 500 meters is simultaneously becoming more acidic at an unprecedented rate, a study by Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists has found.

Ottawa opens door to First Nations fisheries authority
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan said today the federal government is open to the creation of a First Nations fisheries authority, if that's the direction Mi'kmaw chiefs want to take.

Youth activists say Canada has legal duty to protect vital resources as public hearing ends
Fifteen young Canadians attempting to sue the federal government say the country has a duty to all its citizens to protect vital natural resources like the air and shorelines — a duty it's failing by emitting greenhouse gases.

These news clips are a selection of weekday clips collected in Salish Sea News and Weather which is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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