Hate 150′ buffers? EPA implements 1000′ buffers for some pesticides

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Al Bergstein

While anti shoreline protection advocates yell about how horrible 150′ buffers would be to those who live near the Sound, this is worth thinking about. The EPA today has instituted much larger buffers for specific chemicals in order to protect salmon. Maybe we should all agree that 150′ doesn’t seem that bad after all!

Seattle, WA — Today, the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to place additional limitations on the use of three organophosphate pesticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion — to protect endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

The announcement comes in response to a series of lawsuits brought by Earthjustice aimed at removing toxic pesticides from salmon spawning streams throughout the northwest.

In response to Earthjustice litigation, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in November of 2008 released a “biological opinion” that set forth a plan for protecting Pacific salmon and steelhead from three toxic organophosphate pesticides. That decision came after almost a decade of legal wrangling between salmon advocates led by Earthjustice and the federal government. The biological opinion prescribed measures necessary to keep these pesticides out of water and to protect salmon populations in Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. The announcement from EPA today moves this work forward.

Although the experts at NMFS recommended prohibiting aerial applications of the three pesticides within 1,000 feet of salmon waters and ground applications within 500 feet of salmon waters, EPA has taken a different course. EPA believes it can achieve the same protections for salmon with buffers ranging from 100 to 1,000 feet depending on pesticide application rate and stream size. In their announcement today, EPA says it will require industry to fund and carry out monitoring of salmon streams in order to assure the pesticide restrictions work as intended.

Chlorpyrifos

•  Contaminates rivers throughout the west at levels harmful to fish or their food sources according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The basins where chlorpyrifos was detected at harmful levels include the Willamette, San Joaquin, Tulare, and the Central Columbia Basin.

•  Is “very highly toxic” to fish according to U.S. EPA’s toxicity classification system.

•  Impairs fish reproduction by reducing egg production in fish.

•  Inhibits juvenile coho salmon feeding behavior and swimming speed.

•  Harms the survival and reproduction of salmon food sources.

Diazinon

•  Contaminates rivers throughout the west at levels harmful to fish or their food sources according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The basins where diazinon was detected at harmful levels include the Willamette, San Joaquin, Tulare, the Central Columbia Basin and Puget Sound. It was also detected in King County, Washington streams.

•  Impairs feeding, predator avoidance, spawning, homing and migration capabilities by impeding salmon sense of smell.

•  Leads to weakened swimming activity in juvenile trout.

•  Is acutely toxic to salmon food sources.

Malathion

•  Contaminates rivers throughout the west at levels harmful to fish or their food sources according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The basins where malathion was detected at harmful levels include the Willamette, San Joaquin, Tulare, and the Central Columbia Basin. It was also detected in King County, Washington streams.

•  Leads to weakened swimming activity in juvenile trout.  

http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/2009/epa-announces-alternative-plan-to-protect-salmon-from-pesticides.html

Apparently this may affect berry growers in our area and probably others. The lawsuit was brought after efforts to get the EPA to be proactive failed.  Malathion is routinely used as fogger in the midwest for mosquito abatement as well as head lice treatment. It was first tested on poor populations in Puerto Rico slums in the 50s to combat malaria. EPA updated the risk assessment for Malathion in 2005.  There appears to be some concern that “research in the 1989 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination Toxicology stated 25% of the malathion is still present in the water after two weeks and 10% is still present after 30 days” http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/malathion/genetics.htm

A web site that is worth looking at on the subject is http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/index.htm#intestine which details medical concerns around the world with Malathion. Use discretion with that site, it’s validity is unknown to me.  He does seem to refer to legitimate medical research articles in peer reviewed journals.

Filed under: Government, Jefferson County, Places, Puget Sound, Salmon, Sea Life | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Fix the Road, Fix the Stream – Olympian

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Since I took considerable heat from one angry citizen at the Wooden Boat show yesterday over storm culvert projects being worthless, I thought I’d share this with anyone wondering about costs and what the paybacks might be. Here’s why we are needing to raise money to support re-engineering of culverts over the next few decades. This seems to be one of those “green projects” that provided local jobs, and should benefit the salmon runs almost immediately. I’ll be interested to follow up on this to see how the runs restore themselves after this project. If you want to support this legislative effort, check out People For Puget Sounds web site for the Clean Water Photo campaign on the front page of www.pugetsound.org

*9/14/09 Olympian
Fix the road, fix the stream
JOHN DODGE; The Olympian

Sometimes road-improvement projects go hand in hand with wild salmon restoration.

Such is the case on the campus of The Evergreen State College, where one mile of prime spawning and rearing habitat soon will be available with the replacement of a fish-passage barrier near the mouth of Snyder Creek.

A 3-foot-wide culvert in the streambed under Sunset Beach Drive Northwest is being replaced with a 55-foot-long, 14-foot-wide culvert that is built to mimic the natural streambed near the creek’s juncture with Eld Inlet.

“Fish won’t even know they are in a culvert when they pass through it,” predicted Jamie Glasgow, director of science and research for the Wild Fish Conservancy.

The college, the fish conservancy, People for Puget Sound and the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group teamed up on the $214,000 project, which should be completed by Horsley Timber and Construction in the next few days in time for returning sea-run cutthroat, coho and chum salmon and possibly steelhead.

More at
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/970114.html

Filed under: Salmon, Sea Life | 1 Comment »

Bodega Bay (CA) scientists weigh impact of ocean acid levels on shellfish

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Related to our threads on ocean acidification, and it’s possible impact on our multimillion dollar shellfish industry.
By BOB NORBERG <mailto:bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com>
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT 9/6 Press Democrat

The danger from increasing levels of acid in the ocean, which could devastate California’s shellfish industry, is under investigation by Bodega Bay scientists.

It is painstaking work that requires the team to wade through knee-deep mud at Tomales Bay to collect native Olympic oysters and then raise their young in salt-water tanks under conditions that mimic climate change.

“Very little is known about how ocean acidification is unfolding, other than it is,” said Susan Williams, director of the Bodega Marine Laboratory, which is part of UC Davis. “We are already seeing dramatic effects.”

The evidence is seen in the dissolving shells of some mollusks and disappearing mussel beds. And researchers, with the backing of more than $4 million in University of California and federal funds, are trying to identify the long-term consequences of the ocean’s changing chemistry.

More at
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090906/articles/909069979

Filed under: Climate Change, Jefferson County, Puget Sound, Sea Life | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Bodega Bay (CA) scientists weigh impact of ocean acid levels on shellfish

Pink Salmon run large this year

Posted on September 8, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Big pink run by Staff Report

The Skagit River pink salmon run is expected to have 1.2 million fish this year, the offspring of the large pink run of 2007.

Anglers are reporting smaller-than-average pinks this year.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Brett Barkdull said the fish are coming in at 3.5 pounds on average.

More at
http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/big_pink_run/

Filed under: Salmon, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Pink Salmon run large this year

A Sea Change – Great movie on urgent subject

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Tonight a crowd of about 100 attended the Port Townsend screening of “A Sea Change  – Imagine A World Without Fish”.  Producer Barbara Ettinger and film narrator, Sven Huseby were on hand to take questions afterwards. Here’s the film’s syopsis:

Imagine a world without fish: It seems inconceivable. But top scientists warn that such a catastrophe may in fact play out in coming generations unless widespread awareness is raised to stop ocean acidification.

A SEA CHANGE draws attention on this urgent but little-known crisis. It follows retired educator and concerned grandfather Sven Huseby back to stunning ancestral sites (Norway, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest) where he finds cutting-edge ocean research underway. His journey of self-discovery brings adventure, surprise and revelation to the hard science of acidification.

While the use of Sven as grandfather, and his charming grandson is a great storytelling technique, the most dramatic scene to me in the movie is showing the damage done to a tooth by simply exposing it to carbonated water, which is only slightly more acidic than seawater, and much less than Coke Cola. The tooth, rather rapidly, develops a massive split down the middle.  Could the acidity change be part of the problem we are starting to see in clamshells and clam spawn survival rates in Hood Canal?

The question was raised, “What can one do locally?”  Here’s some answers:

  • First, try and see the movie, to understand the scope of the problem. If you can’t, then search for information on the Internet. This web site will list sites that you can start with.
  • Write our state representatives, both locally (Lynn Kessler, Kevin Van de Wege, and James Hargrove), our governor, and David Dicks, of the Puget Sound Partnership, and demand action within the State to drive issues of CO2 pollution down. Let them know you care about this.
  • Write our federal representatives to let them know we care about this issue.
  • Support strong laws, such as the Shoreline Master Program locally to reduce runoff of pollutants into our Sound and Straits.
  • Drive less in gas powered cars!
  • Support a shift to solar, wind and tidal energy. This alone is a huge committment that can help immensely.
  • Take a look at http://www.aseachange.net/take-action-today.html to see what other things you can do.

Thanks again to the Marine Science Center for putting this movie on.

If you want the whole scientific version of this, you should check out the hour long video on YouTube from UCTV by Scripps Institute Marine Chemist as he rolls out the actual charts of hot spots, and deep issues.

Filed under: Climate Change, Sea Life | Comments Off on A Sea Change – Great movie on urgent subject

Movie on “World without Fish” at Wheeler Theater 9/2 at 7PM

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Al Bergstein

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) presents the Olympic Peninsula’s premiere of a feature-length documentary film called A Sea Change—Imagine a world without fish at the Wheeler Theatre in Fort Worden State Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 7 p.m.

“Not only are we excited to present the movie for the first time on the Peninsula, but we’ll also have the director and protagonist available to answer questions and discuss various elements of the film at its conclusion,” said Anne Murphy, executive director for the PTMSC. “I’m pleased to say this isn’t one of those ‘downer’ environmental movies, but rather has an uplifting and inspiring message. We hope you’ll join us.”

Filed under: Climate Change, Salmon, Sea Life | Comments Off on Movie on “World without Fish” at Wheeler Theater 9/2 at 7PM

Shellfish ruling surprises farmers – AP

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Al Bergstein

8/22  -PHUONG LE; The Associated Press  —A landmark deal struck between Puget Sound Indian tribes and commercial growers two years ago was meant to end years of rancor over shellfish harvesting rights.
But some growers were surprised to learn this summer that some of their tidelands might not qualify under the settlement, potentially opening them up to tribal harvest.
In 2007, 17 Puget Sound tribes agreed to give up treaty rights to harvest shellfish from commercial shellfish beds, as long as the beds had been actively farmed before Aug. 28, 1995. In return, the tribe got $33 million in state and federal money to buy and lease tidelands for their own use. Commercial growers submitted documents insisting 864 parcels should be exempt from the settlements, but in papers filed with a federal court in Seattle in June, the tribes objected to half of those.

More at
http://www.theolympian.com/environment/story/947282.html

Filed under: First Nations, Government, Puget Sound, Shellfish | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Shellfish ruling surprises farmers – AP

Fraser River Sockeye numbers crashing..Snake River Sockeye improving

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Two stories of two different runs of salmon in the northwest today, one from the Fraser and one from the Snake.

Chris Dunagan does a great job covering the crash of the Fraser River Sockeye this year.  This is a critical loss of a year’s fish, and it’s still an unknown cause. Is it global warming? Sea lice? Over fishing? All the above? None of them? Whatever the cause, we have allowed our fish stocks to dwindle to levels that create a very problematic situation when we lose one year’s return. It’s worth remembering that the Fraser has produced millions of fish a year until recently.

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2009/08/17/mystery-surrounds-millions-of-missing-fraser-sockeye/comment-page-1/#comment-14697

To the south, Oregon Public Broadcasting has a story on the return of hundreds of Snake River sockeye to Redfish Lake in Idaho. This is the same run that returned one fish in 92. Better dam water releases, some good snowpack years, etc. have helped. But both runs are in serious danger, and it will take decades to find out if we are being successful. What’s helped the most? Continual lawsuits to force the government to take action over multiple administrations. It’s sad but true that it always seems to need to go to court to get the attention and real focus of the powers that be.

http://news.opb.org/article/5651-return-redfish-snake-river-sockeye-salmon-swim-back-brink/

Filed under: Salmon, Sea Life | Tagged: | Comments Off on Fraser River Sockeye numbers crashing..Snake River Sockeye improving

Looking to fish? Head east!

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Looks like, due to a good fresh water runoff year in 2007, humpy (pink salmon) runs are up. Unfortunately their up over on the east side of the Sound. No mention if the runs from over here are at similar strength. Full story at http://www.bellinghamherald.com/outdoors/story/1019031.html

8/6 Bellingham Herald
Banner Puget Sound pink salmon runs expected
DOUG HUDDLE – THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

It’s going to be a mighty good ‘humpy’ year on most Puget Sound rivers where outstanding runs of odd-year pink salmon are anticipated.

And while the Nooksack is not expected to share in the bounty, forecasts call for more than five million wild pinks to return to just five major Western Washington river systems.

With virtually no hatchery supplementation, the 2009 run will be the product of wild reproduction, but only as a result of favorable freshwater conditions during the winter of 2007.

Filed under: Salmon, Sea Life | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

More Mystery Bay news..

Posted on June 16, 2009 by Al Bergstein

The PDN continues it’s coverage of the Mystery Bay shellfish controversy. While I appreciate the tribes stance, and also tend to agree that there are probably too many boats and buoys in there, I haven’t read of any science to say that the boats are actually the problem. Likely the source of the problem will be shown to be something else, like failing septic systems, warming waters, changing water chemistry,etc. Most boaters don’t dump overboard, especially while tied up. Also, the type of folks tying up out there, which tend to be ‘old timers’ in the area, usually know better.

6/16 Peninsula Daily News -Inner Mystery Bay to stay open to commercial shellfishing, state official says-By Jeff Chew
Peninsula Daily News

NORDLAND — A state Department of Health official assured his audience that the inner waters of Mystery Bay would remain open to commercial shellfish harvests, but the outer bay would likely be closed later this summer.

“Our plan is to have no classification of the inner bay,” said Bob Woolrich, growing area program manager for the office of shellfish and water protection.

Woolrich made the remarks to about 100 people Monday night in a meeting that brought together state, county and tribal agencies.

The state has been considering reclassifying the Mystery Bay commercial shellfish growing area as prohibited or conditional, which could have led to closure of the inner bay.

There’s more to the story at
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090616/news/306169995

Filed under: First Nations, Shellfish | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Oysters in Trouble – Seattle Times

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Al Bergstein

6/14 Seattle Times- Oysters in deep trouble: Is Pacific Ocean’s chemistry killing sea life?
By Craig Welch —Seattle Times environment reporter–WILLAPA BAY, Pacific County —

The collapse began rather unspectacularly.

In 2005, when most of the millions of Pacific oysters in this tree-lined estuary failed to reproduce, Washington’s shellfish growers largely shrugged it off.

In a region that provides one-sixth of the nation’s oysters — the epicenter of the West Coast’s $111 million oyster industry — everyone knows nature can be fickle.

But then the failure was repeated in 2006, 2007 and 2008. It spread to an Oregon hatchery that supplies baby oysters to shellfish nurseries from Puget Sound to Los Angeles. Eighty percent of that hatchery’s oyster larvae died, too.

Now, as the oyster industry heads into the fifth summer of its most unnerving crisis in decades, scientists are pondering a disturbing theory. They suspect water that rises from deep in the Pacific Ocean — icy seawater that surges into Willapa Bay and gets pumped into seaside hatcheries — may be corrosive enough to kill baby oysters.

More at
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009336458_oysters14m.html

Filed under: Shellfish | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Oysters in Trouble – Seattle Times

Mystery Bay shellfish population in crisis, says Tribes – PDN

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Peninsula Daily News is reporting on a letter by the Tribes to DNR, and the County, on the pathetic condition of their shellfish beds in Mystery Bay. Seems as if the expansion of mooring buoys is the most likely culprit, though obviously it’s a simple target that seems to have no science behind the idea. Could it be other issues, like failing septic, or warming of the Sound? Read the story at the PDN…

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090614/news/306149991

Filed under: First Nations, Jefferson County, Shellfish | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Mystery Bay shellfish population in crisis, says Tribes – PDN

Orcas not present in Sound, concerns grow…

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Al Bergstein

Watching our Waterways has an interesting piece today on the lack of both salmon and Orcas in Puget Sound.  Our lack of rain so far this summer could be making this situation worse, as salmon seem to come in when the rain helps them find their home streams.

Filed under: Sea Life | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

« Previous Page