Salish Sea News Week in Review January 20 2023

 

Aloha Penguin Friday!
The word "penguin" first appeared in print in 1500s, and was originally applied to a black and white seabird called an auk that is now extinct. Some believe the name comes from the Welsh words "pen" and "gwyn" that mean "head" and "white." There are 18 penguin species, 13 of which have declining populations. Five of these species are endangered and face extinction. There are only about 5,000 of the rarest species, the yellow-eyed penguin. Besides being eaten at the hands of natural predators such as leopard seals, sea lions, and sharks, they are threatened by introduced predators such as dogs, cats, rats, and ferrets, that eat their eggs. They face danger from oil spills and other pollution, from climate change that alters their food sources, from overfishing, and from illegal poaching and egg harvesting.

Sea lions, seals might be hampering WA salmon recovery. What can be done?
A new report commissioned by the state Legislature and completed by the Washington Academy of the Sciences says seals and sea lions are likely impeding salmon recovery, and the full impacts of predation on salmon may not be fully understood without lethal intervention.

New state study fuels renewed efforts to ban toxic chemicals from cosmetics in Washington
A new report from the Washington State Department of Ecology found formaldehyde in 26 of 30 body lotions tested in a study of products marketed to people of color. It found lead in two dark-powder foundations and one lipstick. One dark-tint foundation also contained arsenic.

Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution
Everywhere they look, Pacific Northwest scientists find teeny-tiny plastic pollution. Broken down particles are in our water, falling out of the air, in salmon, shellfish and in our own bodies.

OPA 90 liability limits being adjusted for inflation
The U.S. Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it is adjusting the limits of liability for vessels, deepwater ports and onshore facilities to reflect the increase in the Consumer Price Index since they were last adjusted in 2019.

Concerns resurface as roe herring fishery approaches in Strait of Georgia
The roe herring fishery is approaching, which concerns those who say the Strait of Georgia herring have been fished out south of Nanaimo and over-fished north of Nanaimo. 

First Nation can veto proposed B.C. coal mine as part of unique deal with developer
A coal company and a British Columbia First Nation have struck a rare deal to give the community the power to veto a proposed mining project, which could set a precedent for how natural resources projects are developed in Canada.

Following local cities, Jefferson County proclaims rights for orcas
Jefferson County is the latest local government to declare inherent rights for the region’s Southern Resident orca population, making it the first county in the state to issue such a proclamation. Three Puget Sound cities issued similar declarations in December.

This is why Petrogas will pay $4 million for unpermitted emissions
In the largest penalty settlement in the Northwest Clean Air Agency’s 56-year history, Petrogas West has agreed to pay $4 million and make operational changes to the company’s Cherry Point facility in Whatcom County after the company started projects without permits.

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 at no cost to the weekday news clips, send your name and email to mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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