Salish Sea Communications

Friday, October 11, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 11 2024

Aloha Egg Day!
World Egg Day celebrates eggs and highlights their versatility and the benefits they bring to people of all ages. The day has a different theme each year, and celebrations are held in countries all around the world. Eggs are nutrient-rich, being high in protein as well as in 13 vitamins and minerals that the body needs, such as choline, vitamin B12, iron, and iodine. They improve brain function, support physical strength and the immune system, and aid with child development.

Endangered Southern Resident orcas return to Puget Sound
Whale researchers on Saturday spotted orcas that are part of the endangered Southern Resident pod. They’re back in Puget Sound, for the first time since April.

Have you considered the Canada Goose?
Giant Canada geese, so ubiquitous today in cities across the country, were once considered extinct. What can we learn from watching them up close?

Orca census shows declining population; researchers discuss risk of extinction
Three deaths and one birth among the southern resident killer whales have been documented over the past year.

What happens to shipping containers when they have been lost at sea?
More than 20,000 shipping containers have tumbled overboard in the last decade and a half.

Carbon dioxide pollution in the West could drop with expansion of electrical grid, report says
Planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution could dramatically drop in the West if a dozen electrical energy transmission projects currently proposed or being built are completed in the next five years, a new report found.

Are WA schools ready for earthquakes? We don't know
Seismic data helps prioritize building improvements and inform emergency planning. But the data is inconsistent, incomplete and difficult to access.

(Re)explaining Washington’s Climate Commitment Act
Understanding the cap-and-invest law that Washington Initiative 2117 would repeal.

Unravelling the complicated past of B.C.’s newest pipeline conflict
B.C. has until the end of November to decide if the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line requires a new environmental assessment.

Native bees are an important piece of the pie. Why aren’t we protecting them?
Our food security relies on a diversity of pollinators on Canadian farms. Honeybees get a lot of credit, but they’re pushing native species out.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Friday, October 4, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review October 4 2024

Aloha Diversity Friday!
Taking place during Global Diversity Awareness Month, 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."

Oregon’s offshore lease sale canceled as bidders back out, governor raises concerns
Oregon’s upcoming floating offshore wind auction has been canceled because only one of the five companies eligible to bid was still interested.

Why the Salish Sea's new baby orca surprised researchers
News of L90 becoming a mother is a bit of an "outlier," according to NOAA wildlife biologist Brad Hanson. At her age, it's likely that L90 has been pregnant several times before but lost those calves. "She's also a relatively small female. So to be honest, we had sort of written her off, if you will,” he said.

Bycatch of nearly 20,000 Chinook salmon shuts down Alaska trawl fishery
Nearly 20,000 Chinook salmon were caught inadvertently as bycatch in the pollock fishery in the Gulf of Alaska, shutting it down early and sparking outrage among orca scientists and wild salmon advocates. Chinook salmon are the most prized food for endangered southern resident orcas that frequent the Salish Sea.

The grid is insufficient for renewables. BPA has a $2 billion plan
The Bonneville Power Administration announced a plan to move ahead with more than $2 billion in multiple high-voltage transmission substation and line projects necessary to reinforce the transmission grid that connects the Pacific Northwest with the American Southwest and points east.

Litigation looms over latest round of Washington state timber sales
A group pressing to save older forests from logging is threatening to sue. School officials and others are raising alarm about lost revenue.

Sister seas on opposite shores face same foe: polluted runoff
For decades, Puget Sound and its East Coast counterpart, the Chesapeake Bay, have had federal, state, and local programs aimed at restoring them to ecological health. Yet America’s two biggest estuaries south of Alaska remain in poor health.

Canadians Are Still Paying for Trudeau’s Trans Mountain Pipeline
The federal government is the owner of the $34 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX), yet charges oil companies less than half of the tolls required to recover the eye-watering capital costs owed to the Canadian taxpayer. According to a new report from the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), this amounts to a subsidy to the fossil fuel sector of up to $18.8 billion, or $1,248 per Canadian household.

Friday, September 27, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 27 2024

Aloha Koala Friday!

On the last Friday in September, Save the Koala Day raises awareness for the plight of the koala. It's also a day to educate the public on 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.

Steelhead: Washington's 'gray ghost' battles extinction
Steelhead already are listed for federal protection almost everywhere they live, up and down the rivers of the West Coast, including in the Columbia and Snake rivers and all over Puget Sound. And they were recently petitioned for listing on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula.

‘Give them a chance’: The fight to bring salmon back to Edmonds stream
The Edmonds Stream Team has released 8,000 coho fry in an upper stretch of Perrinville Creek. Volunteers placed fish in other local creeks as well, with the larger goal of reestablishing salmon runs in small streams that coho, in particular, depend on for rearing and spawning.

Dan Evans, three-term Washington governor, dies at age 98
Daniel J. Evans, former governor of Washington and U.S. Senator, died Friday at the age of 98.

Forever chemicals are everywhere. These burnt wood chips could help change that
Forever chemicals are everywhere, from cookware to cosmetics to clothes to carpets. For decades, they've been building up in the environment and our water – and in our bodies. Now Canadian researchers say they have developed a practical way to remove the toxic compounds from our drinking water.

Dungeness are WA’s most lucrative seafood, but we know little about them
For decades this crab has helped sustain Washington fishing communities, averaging an annual harvest of 23.3 million pounds over the past 10 years. The nontreaty/state harvest alone was worth an average of $63 million. Even so, relatively little is known about this native species and how future conditions might affect its abundance.

New research reveals diet differences between thriving and endangered killer whale populations
A research team led by scientists from the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has uncovered new insights into the diet of resident killer whales, which could aid in the conservation of endangered populations.

$8.5 million awarded to 21 proposals to advance Puget Sound habitat recovery
The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) announced its 2024 investment list for EPA Puget Sound Funds to advance habitat protection and restoration.

As Southern Oregon opposition to offshore wind mounts, energy developers opt not to bid
At least one company is no longer interested in bidding on a chance to develop a floating offshore wind project off the Southern Oregon coast, and others may also have backed out.

New Southern Resident orca calf seen in stunning NOAA drone video

A new killer whale calf has joined L pod, the largest pod of southern resident orcas. The calf, dubbed L128, was spotted alongside its mother, L90.

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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Friday, September 20, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 20 2024

Aloha National Hispanic Heritage Month!

National Hispanic Heritage Month is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. (Wikipedia)

$7.3 million state grant will go toward cleanup of contaminated Bellingham Bay site
A state grant is providing $7.3 million to address a toxic waste site on the Bellingham waterfront, the site of a planned city park. Officials at the state Department of Commerce Public Works Board announced the $7.3 million award for the Cornwall Avenue landfill cleanup.

Too hot for humpbacks: The race to protect Pacific whales
Move over Moby Dick. Big Mama, the first humpback whale to have returned to the North Pacific's Salish Sea after decades of absence, is telling a new story about the global threat to whale populations.

New baby for endangered southern residents; mom spotted alone with calf
A new calf has been reported in the endangered southern resident killer whale population. The tiny orca was spotted with L90 Ballena — a 31-year-old female who has never been documented with a calf — on Sunday off Lime Kiln Park on San Juan Island.

Scientists just figured out how many chemicals enter our bodies from food packaging
More than 3,000 chemicals from food packaging have infiltrated our bodies, a new study has found.

One woman's goal to protect islands in the Salish Sea
Conservationist and author Shelia Harrington has a new book titled, "Voices for the Islands." In it, Harrington highlights the importance of protecting nature on and around the islands of the Salish Sea located off the shores of Washington state and British Columbia.

B.C.’s cash-strapped wildlife ministry operating in triage mode
Disease monitoring for bighorn sheep, bats, among programs affected by government wildlife funding woes.

Province provides millions of dollars for communities to tackle effects of climate change
Island projects range from tackling shoreline erosion on Saanich Inlet to planting trees in Saanich and installing cooling infrastructure in Victoria.

Friday, September 13, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 13 2024

Aloha Friday the 13th Friday!

Is it an unlucky day because of the Norse myth of the trickster Loki joining the dinner of 12 gods as the 13th guest and causing the death of the god Balder and the whole Earth turned dark? Or because there were 13 disciples at the Last Supper on the 13th of Nisan, the night before Good Friday? Or? Go figure.

Very few sockeye have passed Chilcotin River landslide area
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says this year's Fraser River sockeye salmon run is 2nd lowest on record.

A record 86 Vancouver Island marmot pups born this year
The critically endangered Vancouver Island marmot is experiencing a baby boom. So far, 86 pups have been born in the alpine regions of the Island — a record number — and scientists and volunteers have yet to finish their count.

Dead harbor seal in Puget Sound helps expand knowledge on infectious disease
Epidemiologists with the Kitsap Public Health District have co-authored a new report documenting the first recorded case of a human contracting the infectious disease tularemia, also known as "rabbit fever" from a marine mammal.

B.C. sets up a panel on killing of bears
B.C. will review conservation officer training after conservation officers destroyed 603 black and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, according to figures from the B.C. government.

Nearly 2,000 species are at-risk in B.C. Only 42 are being considered for new protections
Internal government records show officials are working to update list of at-risk species under forestry legislation for the first time in almost two decades.

Are BC’s Forests Running Out of Trees?
The province prides itself on its sustainable forestry. But even industry is now sounding the alarm. Zoë Yunker reports.

Salish Sea too noisy for endangered orcas to hunt: study
The Salish Sea is too noisy for the critically endangered southern resident orcas to hunt successfully, according to a new study led by the University of Washington.

Micro-hydroelectric power may be the next big climate solution
An InPipe turbine installed by Skagit PUD in partnership with InPipe Energy spins the excess power flowing through miles of water pipe into enough electricity to power 14 Mount Vernon homes and to be sold back to the power utility for about $12,000 dollars a year.

Friday, September 6, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review September 6 2024

Aloha Food Bank Friday!

National Food Bank Day was created in 2017, to commemorate fifty years since the founding of St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, the first food bank in the world, and to "recognize the outstanding contributions of food banks around the country". St. Mary's was founded by John ven Hengel in 1967, and its mission is to "alleviate hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education."

Thawing Alaskan permafrost is unleashing more mercury, confirming scientists’ worst fears
Alaska’s permafrost is melting and revealing high levels of mercury that could threaten Alaska Native peoples.

Lummi Nation salmon hatcheries to undergo major renovations
The Lummi Nation received $2 million as part of a large federal award given to tribes meant to help repair hatcheries. The Skookum Creek Fish Hatchery near Acme, WA, will undergo major infrastructure improvements as a result of the funding.

Puget Sound tanker traffic thickens as Canadian pipeline boosts oil flow
Tankers have been ferrying fossil fuels through the island-studded Salish Sea for decades — but the amount of it is. [There is] a surge of tanker traffic in Washington and British Columbia since the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbia, nearly tripled its capacity in May.

Companies logged B.C. forests 170 times without authorization since 2021, records show
The provincial government can’t say how much was improperly harvested and refuses to release details about fines.

Columbia, Snake River tribes fight to keep fishing traditions alive
The U.S. government recently recognized the harm caused by the dams and has promised to work to restore salmon runs but tribal members doubt much will change.

Friday, August 30, 2024

Salish Sea News Week in Review August 30 2024

Aloha Slinky Friday!
The Slinky was invented and developed by naval engineer Richard T. James in 1943 and successfully demonstrated at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia in November 1945. The Slinky was originally priced at $5, but many paid much more due to price increases of spring steel in Pennsylvania. It has, however, remained modestly priced throughout its history as a result of Betty James' concern about the toy's affordability for less affluent customers. In its first 60 years, about 300 million Slinkys were sold. (Wikipedia)

B.C. Parks Foundation announces protection of coastal habitats with funding help from Chip Wilson's foundation
More than a square kilometre of land in the Salish Sea is now protected, after the B.C. Parks Foundation announced five newly protected “biodiversity hot spots” on Friday. The areas won't be available for public access until use and management plans are developed.

Tribe, USFW sign pact for refuges
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a co-stewardship agreement for the Dungeness and Protection Island National Wildlife Refuges, with the Tribe taking over the day-to-day management of the refuges.

BC Hydro begins filling reservoir as Site C dam megaproject nears completion
It will take up to four months to fill the 83-kilometre-long reservoir, which will cover about 5,550 hectares of land, BC Hydro says.

Vancouver tanker traffic rises tenfold after TMX project
Publicly available data shows that an average of two tankers loaded oil from Trans Mountain's Westridge Marine Terminal until May of this year...In June and July, the numbers increased to an average of 20 tankers a month.

No more wildfires of note burning in B.C.
Weekend rain across a large area of the province has dampened the number and risk of wildfires.

More underwater microphones being installed to protect whales
More underwater microphones that can detect killer whales are being installed in Haro Strait, across from Vancouver Island.

Inside Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion, a high-tech showcase for the tropical deep sea
Years of construction along Seattle’s waterfront is intended to bring people closer to the water and natural beauty of Puget Sound. The opening Thursday of Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion expansion practically puts people in the water, to explore and better understand one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems on the other side of the Pacific.

Plan finalized to kill thousands of barred owls around Northwest
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a decision on Wednesday to adopt a controversial barred owl management strategy that calls for lethal removal of the birds by shooting them with shotguns and, in some cases, capturing and euthanizing them.