Salish Sea Communications

Friday, October 24, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 24 2025

Happy Birthday, United Nations!
United Nations Day recognizes the founding of the United Nations (UN) in 1945. The celebration is observed annually on October 24th.

3 Indigenous-led marine refuges established off B.C.'s North Coast
The federal government and two First Nations have jointly announced the establishment of three marine refuges along British Columbia's North Coast. All three sites have been established under an initiative meant to increase Indigenous-led marine conservation efforts on the West Coast, while also advancing reconciliation.

Rare 'septopus' believed to have been found on shore of B.C.'s Pender Island
A scientist based in Washington state is celebrating after identifying what she believes to be a seven-arm octopus — typically found in the Atlantic Ocean — on B.C.’s coast.

Salmon clear last Klamath dams, reaching Williamson and Sprague rivers
Just a year after four dams were removed, fall Chinook have migrated nearly 300 miles into the Upper Klamath Basin in Southern Oregon.

Ferry likely struck humpback calf ‘Skipper:’ researchers
Photos of the calf taken by whale-watching operators on Oct. 16 and then again after the Hullo ferry strike on Oct. 20 revealed a large gash on the small whale’s back. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

B.C. bets big changes to energy policy will reap massive rewards
The province says Bill 31 will speed up construction of the $6-billion North Coast transmission line as it looks to electrify mines, LNG projects and ports in northwest B.C. S

Derelict barge sat in Tacoma waterway for 2+ years. Cost to remove it: $463K
The Port of Tacoma approved a resolution to remove a derelict boat that has been sitting in the Hylebos Waterway since March 2023. After two of its most recent owners failed to remove it, taxpayers will, at the cost of $463,000,

On Friday, the County Superior Court will decide if the Snohomish River has rights
Developers are taking an initiative that grants the Snohomish River legal standing rights to court, arguing the law oversteps its bounds.

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 msato(at)salishseacom.com .Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Friday, October 17, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 17 2025

Aloha Mulligan Friday.
Mulligan is a term used in golf when someone who shoots a bad shot is given a do-over. Mulligan Day is a day when people redo something that didn't turn out the first time. It's a day when people give themselves or others a second chance. The word likely came from David Mulligan, a Canadian golfer prominent in the 1920s, who either hit a poor tee shot, was jumpy and shaky after a shot, or overslept and was late for a shot.

Republicans try to weaken 50-year-old law protecting whales, seals and polar bears
Conservative leaders feel they now have the political will to remove key pieces of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted in 1972 to protect whales, seals, polar bears and other sea animals. The law also places restrictions on commercial fishermen, shippers and other marine industries.

A push for ‘global energy dominance’ puts Alaskan wildlands at risk
The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), at 23 million acres, is the largest sweep of public land in the country, and it has remained largely undeveloped. Now President Donald Trump in his second term, just as in his first, is calling for full-on extraction of oil and gas here.

Southern resident killer whales show signs of slow decline toward disappearance
There's 'a fairly good chance' at least one of the three orca pods being gone within the next 50 years, says a director with the Center for Whale Research.

University of B.C. launches mushroom-powered toilet, turning waste into fertilizer
The toilet turns human waste into compost using mycelia, the root network of mushrooms. The MycoToilet separates liquids from solids, with the solid waste going into a mycelium-lined compartment, where lab tests have shown 90 per cent of the odour-causing compounds are absorbed.

With one mystery solved, researchers examine new strategies for sea star recovery
Knowing the cause of sea star wasting disease allows scientists to look for ways to increase resilience among the ravaged sea star population.

Oregon, environmental groups ask courts to help Columbia Basin fish
Environmental groups and the state of Oregon asked a judge Tuesday to OK a suite of changes to dam operations in the Columbia Basin to reduce harm to endangered salmon and steelhead. The requests are the first major development in a decadeslong legal battle in the basin since the Trump administration blew up a 2023 agreement that had provided a path to dam removal on the lower Snake River.

New research links wildfire smoke to lower sperm counts
A study comparing the sperm samples of 84 men who donated during potentially high exposure to smoke showed lower counts, as well as more inactive sperm, compared to samples taken when the air was cleaner.

Scientists Hope Underwater Fiber-Optic Cables Can Help Save Endangered Orcas
Scientists from the University of Washington recently deployed a little over 1 mile of fiber-optic cable in the Salish Sea to test whether internet cables can monitor endangered orcas like a continuous underwater microphone to capture the clicks, calls and whistles of passing whales — information that could reveal how they respond to ship traffic, food scarcity and climate change.

Friday, October 10, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 10 2025

Aloha Squid Friday!
There are over 300 species of squid, which are in the Teuthida order. They live in every ocean, alone or in schools. They range in size: The giant squid may grow as long as 59 feet, while the pygmy squid is about the size of a pinky fingernail. They have a sleek, torpedo-like body, and are much quicker than cuttlefish. They use jet propulsion to move: They fill their mantle with water from small openings in their head, then shoot it out a funnel called a siphon, which they can move to change the direction they want to go. Squids have a pen, a flexible, feather-like structure, and a type of internal shell that supports the mantle and allows it to keep its shape.

Why too many pink salmon in Snohomish County may not be a good thing
New study shows booming pink salmon populations affect threatened Chinook salmon and Southern Resident orcas.

Marine carbon removal system launches after testing phase
The energy company Ebb Carbon’s Project Macoma marine carbon removal system officially launched Thursday following a testing phase this summer on the Port Angeles waterfront. The project is designed to enhance the ocean’s ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and in the process help make seawater less acidic and thus able to capture more CO2 than untreated seawater.

Supreme Court shoots down challenge to WA carbon market
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a high-profile challenge to Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, marking yet another victory for the state’s keystone climate policy.

Metro Vancouver votes to scale down sewage treatment project from $10B to $6B
The new $6-billion plan is to upgrade the existing facility in phases to comply with provincial and federal regulations for "secondary-level" treatment, which removes up to 90 per cent or more of pollutants typically found in wastewater, such as small suspended solids.

Trump Signs Order to Approve Ambler Access Road for Mining in Alaska
President Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the government to approve a 211-mile industrial road that would cut through pristine Alaskan wilderness to reach a proposed copper and zinc mine.

Beavers disappeared from syilx territories. Could imitating their habitats bring them back — and restore their wetlands?
Historically seen as a ‘nuisance’ species to be trapped and removed, beavers may be key to restoring ecosystems amid deforestation and climate change.

Record number of sockeye salmon return to Skagit River system
About 92,000 adult sockeye made the annual migration to the Baker River and eventually to Baker Lake from June through October. Also worth noting, a record number of juvenile sockeye — about 1.5 million — headed down the Skagit River and out to sea.

Major solar farm in eastern Washington on cusp of approval
A large solar farm proposed in eastern Washington appears on course to clear a critical regulatory hurdle this month, despite opposition from the Yakama Nation.

Return of The Blob: Heat wave spans Pacific Ocean
Water temperatures several degrees above normal span thousands of miles, though they have mostly stopped short of the Pacific Northwest coast. Cool water welling up from the depths is thought to be keeping surface temperatures near the Oregon and Washington coasts closer to normal.

Friday, October 3, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 3 2025

Aloha Butterfly and Hummingbird Friday.

There are about 20,000 species of butterflies—some sources say there are 17,500, while some say there are as many 24,000. There are about 750 species found in the United States. Butterflies generally have short lives, with most only living for two to four weeks, during which they mainly eat and mate. There are about 325 species of hummingbirds, but only eight of them regularly breed in the United States. Although, up to two dozen species can be found there at various times. Most species of hummingbirds can be found in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and there are no hummingbirds outside of the Western Hemisphere.

Study finds Skagit River delta restoration projects positively impacted salmon
Many restoration projects both large and small have been undertaken throughout the delta in the past few decades, totaling an area of about 630 acres. According to a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the restoration efforts show a cumulative population response.

Alaska’s Bristol Bay sockeye run and harvest increased this year, with fish sizes a bit bigger
The run of sockeye salmon, also known as red salmon, exceeded preseason expectations and totaled 56.7 million fish, the seventh highest since 2005. However, Bristol Bay’s harvest of Chinook, also known as king salmon, hit a 20-year low this year, totaling only 6,148 fish, compared to the most recent 20-year average of 33,469 Chinook.

B.C. First Nations want meeting with Carney about salmon, need for open-net farm ban
The First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance says the federal government should create a First Nation-led plan to protect the wild fish, similar to one created for the Great Bear Rainforest.

Saving Puget Sound's puffins: Bringing these ocean ambassadors back from the brink
In 1954, a Walla Walla College biology professor named Ernest Booth recorded tufted puffins on Williamson Rocks. Seventy years later, you’re more likely to encounter peanut butter Puffins in the cereal aisle of a Friday Harbor supermarket than an actual tufted puffin anywhere in the San Juan Islands.

Scientists Release Breathtaking Close-Up Drone Footage of Endangered Orca Pod
Footage taken by scientists with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance shows the Southern Resident killer whale pod swimming together in the Salish Sea.

Environmentalists, politicians, celebrities recall life and influence of primatologist Jane Goodall
Tributes are pouring in from around the world honoring the life and influence of famed primatologist Jane Goodall.

As Smith Pushes New Pipeline Plan, Eby Says No Way
British Columbia Premier David Eby said Wednesday that if he has failed to clearly condemn Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s push for a new bitumen pipeline to B.C.’s north coast, it’s only because he was being polite.

WA’s active wildfires offer warning, state lands chief says
Two wildfires burning east of the Cascade crest are now the state’s largest, and serve as a reminder that, despite rainy, fall weather in Western Washington, fire season rages on.

Friday, September 26, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 26 2025

Aloha koala Friday!
Save the Koala Day is observed on the last Friday in September to raises awareness for the plight of the koala and the importance of conserving the koala’s natural habitat. Even though it’s called a koala bear, the koala isn’t actually a bear. Instead, the koala is a marsupial. This means that the koala is a mammal that carries its young in a pouch. In the late 18th century, English-speaking settlers in Australia called the animal a bear. These settlers thought the koala looked and behaved like a bear. Since then, many people call these animals, koala bears. Australia provides the only natural habitat in the world for the koala. Known as tree-hugging mammals, koalas live in eucalyptus trees. They grow up to 3 feet tall and weigh anywhere from 9 to 30 pounds.

Newborn orca spotted with Northwest's endangered J Pod
The newborn orca has been born to the J pod, and SeaDoc says it appears the mother is 18-year-old J42, also known as "Echo."

Invasive green crabs continue to spread
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that about 174,000 green crabs were removed this spring and summer, an increase from about 130,000 in 2024, but a decrease from 485,000 in 2023. This summer, 1,413 were found in North Puget Sound.

Nations ratify the world’s first treaty to protect international waters
The High Seas Treaty is the first legal framework aimed at protecting biodiversity in international waters, those that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any single country.

Defense Department Delays Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Nationwide
The new timeline could slow cleanup in some communities by nearly a decade. The chemicals, widely used in the military, are linked to cancers and other health risks.

With local orcas ‘in desperate condition,’ Snuneywuxw is monitoring ships’ noises
The First Nation is collecting sound data, hoping to protect at-risk southern resident killer whales from ‘acoustic smog’ of increased maritime traffic.

'Green scam': At UN, watched by drowning nations' leaders, Trump assails the ethos of climate change
In his address at the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump excoriated renewable energy, international climate diplomacy, the science of global warming and other environmental issues.

LNG Expansion Brings New Health Risks to Kitimat
The project’s fast-tracked second phase would push a key pollutant far above current limits, documents reveal.

Totem pole reaches Elwha after 1,700-mile journey
After a 1,700-mile journey around the Pacific Northwest to bring attention to the potential harms posed by the Trump administration’s plan to repeal the Roadless Rule, a totem pole has reached its final destination.

At Global Climate Summit This Week, U.S. Isolation Was on Full Display
On Wednesday in New York, countries lined up to say they would accelerate their efforts to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. In staying away, the U.S. was all but alone.

Friday, September 19, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 19 2025

Aloha Talk Like A Pirate Day!
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a day for everyone to talk like a pirate, and it was thought up by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon. They were playing racquetball on June 6, 1995, when they began to talk like pirates. They decided there should be a holiday dedicated to pirate talk, and since they didn't want the day to coincide with D-Day, Mark came up with September 19 as its date, which was his ex-wife's birthday. It was not until 2002 that the day began to be celebrated on a larger scale, as Dave Barry wrote a column that brought the attention of the holiday beyond the purview of John and Mark's friends.

Orca mom carries dead newborn calf in San Juans
An endangered orca was spotted Friday carrying a dead newborn on her nose, umbilical cord still attached, between Orcas Island and Cypress Island in Washington state.

A PNW bird is in mysterious decline. Two Salish Sea islands hold clues
In Washington, the tufted puffin has seen a 90% reduction in population in recent decades with fewer than 2,000 of the birds remaining on the West Coast. When Washington listed the species as endangered in 2015, the agency wrote that with the current rate of decline, the state’s population could be gone by 2055.

4 years after Fairy Creek, a new battle over B.C.’s old-growth forests looms in the Walbran Valley
A B.C. justice has granted an injunction against a group of people blocking a logging road on southern Vancouver Island. The decision paves the way for the RCMP to move in.

Feds greenlight killing more sea lions to protect endangered salmon as controversy fades
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service renewed a 2020 permit that had allowed the removal of 540 California sea lions and 176 Steller sea lions from Bonneville Dam and Willamette Falls.

Canada calls this newly approved LNG project green. For now, it will run on fossil fuels
Despite being touted as a clean energy project, B.C.’s Ksi Lisims LNG will likely run on fossil fuels for years before hydro power reaches the site. Matt Simmons reports.

Robert Redford remembered for his deep legacy in environmental activism and Native American advocacy
Fellow actors and leaders of the causes he fought for spoke of his unusually deep legacy, his fight for Native Americans and the environment that began at the height of his stardom.

Youth, scientists, argue for court to halt Trump executive orders 'unleashing' fossil fuel industry
For the second time in two years a youth-led lawsuit challenging the government’s role in climate change is seeing the inside of a Montana courtroom.

In an unprecedented warning, leading climate think-tank says Canada won't meet 2030 climate target
Years of progress on bringing Canada's carbon emissions down have stalled, and future progress looks increasingly fragile, according to an early 2024 emissions estimate from the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI).

Friday, September 12, 2025

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 12 2025

Flipper the Dolphin

Aloha Dolphin Friday!
A dolphin is a common name used for some of the aquatic mammals in the cetacean clade Odontoceti, the toothed whales. Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae, along with the river dolphin families Platanistidae, Iniidae, Pontoporiidae, and probably extinct Lipotidae. There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.

Musqueam to appeal Cowichan Tribes ruling on Aboriginal title
The Musqueam Indian Band is the latest government to announce its plans to appeal the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision that found another First Nation government holds Aboriginal title for land and fishing rights in an area of Metro Vancouver.

Warming seas threaten key phytoplankton species that fuels the food web, study finds
For decades, scientists believed Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant phytoplankton on Earth, would thrive in a warmer world. But new research suggests the microscopic bacterium, which forms the foundation of the marine food web and helps regulate the planet’s climate, will decline sharply as seas heat up.

Who’s keeping an eye on B.C.’s oil and gas boom? Fewer people than you might think
Internal documents show inspectors lack training to manage long-term contamination, raising questions about oversight across the province

B.C. orders forage farmers to stop using water to protect endangered chinook salmon
The order applies to 490 users in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds, including farmers who grow grass, alfalfa and corn.

WA pink salmon populations surge in some Puget Sound areas, stagnant in others
The Puget Sound region is anticipating a substantial increase in pink salmon returns for 2025, with forecasts predicting a total of 7.76 million fish. This figure represents a 70% rise from the 10-year cycle average and is expected to be the third-largest return on record.

Invasive emerald ash borer has reached Portland, dooming ash trees
An invasive, tree-killing pest has made its way to Portland, spelling trouble for the many ash trees that cool residential neighborhoods on hot summer days. Forestry officials say Oregon will lose 99% of its ash trees to this pest in time.

How much have fossil fuel giants contributed to heat waves such as B.C.'s heat dome?
The deadly 2021 heat wave over B.C. was an estimated 2.3 degrees hotter because of climate change, says a new study.

Trump Moves to Scrap Biden Rule That Protected Public Lands
The proposal from the Bureau of Land Management would prioritize the use of public lands for oil and gas drilling, coal mining and other industrial activities. Maxine Joselow reports. (NY Times)