Ties break down between B.C. salmon-farming firm, environmental coalition

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Al Bergstein

As the spread of INH virus keeps moving through BC salmon farms, the relationships that were put in place to work towards avoiding this very situation start to fray.

———————————————–

A unique relationship meant to reduce conflict between environmental groups and British Columbia’s largest salmon farming company has fallen apart. The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform and Marine Harvest Canada confirmed Saturday that the project, known as the Framework for Dialogue, is officially over.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/ties-break-down-between-bc-salmon-farming-firm-environmental-coalition/article2444558/

Filed under: Salmon | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Ties break down between B.C. salmon-farming firm, environmental coalition

Deadly virus appears in Washington state salmon farm – Pacific Fishing

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Al Bergstein

Pacific Fishing, 25th May 2012

A virus has infected a Bainbridge Island salmon farm, forcing the owners to begin culling and destroying infected fish.

It’s the same disease – infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, or IHNV – that caused a British Columbia salmon farm to destroy 560,000 fish last week. The fish ended up in a composting facility.

Another British Columbia salmon farm announced this week that it
had voluntarily quarantined itself because the disease was found in its stock.

Alan Cook is vice president for aquaculture at Icicle Seafoods,
which owns American Gold Seafoods, the operator of the Bainbridge Island salmon farm at Orchard Rocks.

“There is no human health implication,” he said. “The virus is
endemic. Wild fish have it. The disease came from wild fish to our fish, not the other way around.”

Cook said the path of the disease can be proved by DNA analysis.
Hugh Mitchell, a Seattle area veterinarian who specializes in fish, agrees. The disease “is endemic. It’s common. It’s part of the natural ecosystem.”

At the Orchard Rocks farm, diseased fish are being culled. Fish
large enough for the market are being butchered and sold, Cook said. Smaller fish are destroyed.

He declined to say how many fish were in the farm.Once the stocks are gone, the farm will be fallow for three months.
Nets will be removed and disinfected, Cook said.

The largest financial hit for Icicle will come from lost production.

“More than anything else, it’s the cost of the loss of livestock,” Cook said.

There has been a salmon farm for 30 years at that Bainbridge Island location. Never before has it been hit by IHNV, Cook said.

However, the disease was reported in salmon farms in British
Columbia about 10 years ago, Mitchell said.

The disease is part of the natural ecosystem in the North Pacific. Wild salmon species here have built some resistance to the virus. Healthy wild fish can withstand the infection.

However, Atlantic salmon used in farming have no resistance to
the disease, Mitchell said. They are made even more susceptible to disease because they live in close confinement.

“Farmed fish are way more susceptible to wild diseases,” Mitchell said.

And why did the disease made another appearance this year and
not others?

“No one knows,” Mitchell said.

http://pacificfishing.com/news/pf_20120525_virusII.pdf

Read more stories via Pacific Fishing: http://www.pacificfishing.com/

Filed under: Salmon | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Deadly virus appears in Washington state salmon farm – Pacific Fishing

Eat lots of fish, need cleaner waters–News Tribune

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Al Bergstein

State government assumes, when deciding how clean Washington waters should be, that people eat up to a half-pound of local seafood per month. But it’s not unusual for Jim Peters, a member of the Squaxin Island Tribal Council, to dine with his family three times a week on locally caught salmon, halibut, clams or shrimp – not to mention leftovers. 

Encouraged by tribes and environmentalists, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Department of Ecology is moving toward making a much higher estimate of people’s fish-eating habits that could shape the water-pollution decisions of the next governor’s administration.

Jordan Schrader reports.  http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/05/20/2151271/eat-lots-of-fish-need-cleaner.html 

See also: Swinomish kick off salmon season with a blessing http://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/swinomish-kick-off-salmon-season-with-a-blessing/article_2008ebf5-b25e-5da0-a3bc-24f92c774d3a.html

Filed under: Around the Sound, Government, Salmon, Sea Life | Comments Off on Eat lots of fish, need cleaner waters–News Tribune

Lower Elwha Klallam agree not to plant non-native steelhead

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Al Bergstein

A few weeks old, but still worth noting, if you haven’t already. Thanks to the Lower Elwha S’Klallam for doing the right thing. It was worrisome when we heard that they were thinking of doing this. And thanks to the folks from these various NGOs for getting this done. A great win all around. Nice to actually see folks come together and agree to do something positive, rather than just fight it out in courts, or the press, yes?
______________________________________________________

The Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe has signed a legally-binding agreement with the Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee and the Wild Steelhead Coalition to hold off planting any non-native steelhead hatchery fish in the Elwha River and its tributaries in 2012. Plan to stock Elwha River with non-native hatchery fish put off

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/fieldnotes 2017619265_no_chambers_creek_hatchery_fish_planted_in_elwha_river_in_2012.html

Filed under: Salmon | Comments Off on Lower Elwha Klallam agree not to plant non-native steelhead

More scientific support for no-take fish zones

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Al Bergstein

In our ongoing efforts to restore the seriously depleted bottom fish of the Strait and Sound, discussions on establishing no-take zones have been highly controversial. Here is more scientific proof that these zones can help restore fish stocks.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0023601

Abstract: No-take marine reserves are effective management tools used to restore fish biomass and community structure in areas depleted by overfishing. Cabo Pulmo National Park (CPNP) was created in 1995 and is the only well enforced no-take area in the Gulf of California, Mexico, mostly because of widespread support from the local community. In 1999, four years after the establishment of the reserve, there were no significant differences in fish biomass between CPNP (0.75 t ha−1 on average) and other marine protected areas or open access areas in the Gulf of California. By 2009, total fish biomass at CPNP had increased to 4.24 t ha−1 (absolute biomass increase of 3.49 t ha−1, or 463%), and the biomass of top predators and carnivores increased by 11 and 4 times, respectively. However, fish biomass did not change significantly in other marine protected areas or open access areas over the same time period. The absolute increase in fish biomass at CPNP within a decade is the largest measured in a marine reserve worldwide, and it is likely due to a combination of social (strong community leadership, social cohesion, effective enforcement) and ecological factors. The recovery of fish biomass inside CPNP has resulted in significant economic benefits, indicating that community-managed marine reserves are a viable solution to unsustainable coastal development and fisheries collapse in the Gulf of California and elsewhere.

In addition to the aforementioned conservation benefits, well-enforced marine reserves help reduce local poverty and increase the economic revenue of coastal communities [15], [16]. Protected areas with locally managed resources and stakeholder buy-in can be more successful than areas with top down, federally mandated preservation [see 17]. However, marine reserve agendas have faced considerable opposition from different sectors of the society (e.g. commercial and recreational fisheries), only 0.1 percent of the world’s ocean is completely protected from extractive activities, and most reserves suffer from poor management and enforcement [18], [19]. Moreover, the long-term success of marine reserves is a social issue that requires strong local leadership, social cohesion, involvement and effective self-enforcement within the community, and inter-generational coordination[20], [21].

Filed under: Salmon, Sea Life | Comments Off on More scientific support for no-take fish zones

Salmon Advocates See Jobs in Healthy Fish Runs–KCTS9

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Al Bergstein

A coalition that says it represents more than a thousand Northwest businesses now want a new approach to salmon policy in the Snake and Columbia rivers. ‘Salmon Advocates See Jobs in Healthy Fish Runs’ http://earthfix.kcts9.org/flora-and-fauna/article/salmon-advocates-see-jobs-in-healthy-fish-runs/  “Spokane outdoor retailer Paul Fish says a healthy environment goes hand-in-hand with a healthy economy.” Yes, that’s his name

Filed under: Salmon | Comments Off on Salmon Advocates See Jobs in Healthy Fish Runs–KCTS9

Thoughts on Salmon– Saving them, catching them

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Al Bergstein

This week’s editorial by People For Puget Sound’s Tom Bancroft, addresses the question, “Is Salmon Extinction the Option?”

How are salmon doing in Puget Sound?  Turns out, Chinook salmon are not doing too well according to a report recently released by NOAA, not any better now than 10 years ago when salmon species in Puget Sound were listed on the Endangered Species List. NOAA’s recent report highlights that we are still losing more habitat than restoring and have not addressed toxic pollutant runoff to a sufficient level to reverse the adverse effects of toxic pollutants on fish survival.

The causes are many. Growing population around the Sound, destruction of salmon habitat, sometimes by people with the best of intentions, sometimes by raw greed, sometimes by lack of regulations and sometimes by lack of enforcement of the regulations. A century of storm water runoff that will take a century more to fix. And lets’ not forget that all major sewage systems, even treated, are dumped into the Sound.

It’s not enough to say that we want to save the salmon, a huge public resource that could have been managed for generations to come to have low cost protein, but we have squandered that opportunity decades ago, and now it’s time to do what we can to bring them back.

The Good News:

Watching the salmon derby winners on the Strait of Juan de Fuca bring in good sized fish, really huge for these days, In Gardiner, in February, 18 to 20 lb fish were caught, in Anacortes 16 to 18lb fish were caught, and in B.C. at the Juan de Fuca derby outside of Victoria, the top fish was 40 lbs, and the top ten all topped 25! This derby has raised over $200k (Canadian) to support salmon enhancement activities.

The study by NOAA that Tom mentions in his blog, states that “The Co-Managers (the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Puget Sound Treaty Tribes, collectively) met or exceeded the harvest management performance measures required in the 2004 Harvest Management Plan.

But there are deep concerns, the study states:

  • Habitat is still declining.
  • Habitat protection still needs improvement
  • Habitat restoration is heavily tilted towards capital intensive projects (think Elwha Dam).
  • Funding levels are inadequate to achieve restoration of Chinook populations.
  • Staffing for core programs remains insufficient.
  • There is no process in place to recognize changes that are being made to recovery plan strategies as implementation proceeds. 
  • The Hatchery programs remain critically underfunded.

How big could Chinook get? In 2008 a California Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist found what is thought to be the largest Chinook in modern times. It had spawned and died, and it’s body was found.

chinook-giant-salmon-battle-creek-1-emailsize

Unaltered photo of actual Chinook body found in California in 2008. Notice the kind of habitat behind them. It’s not developed.

Your support in helping local officials and non profits that are working to achieve these goals, including adoption of strong Shoreline Master Programs and Critical Areas Ordinances go a long way to helping protect our remaining salmon habitat and someday possibly seeing Chinook such as this in our Olympic Peninsula streams. 

Filed under: Around the Sound, Government, Salmon | 1 Comment »

Male GM salmon can breed with wild species, researchers find–Vancouver Sun

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Al Bergstein

More reasons to ban Net Pen aquaculture in Jefferson County.

7/14 Vancouver Sun

By Beatrice Fantoni, Postmedia News
On the heels of a new international guideline encouraging the labelling of genetically modified foods, Canadian researchers have found that transgenic Atlantic salmon can pass their genes on to wild salmon if they escape into the wild.
"It is possible for the genetic modification to enter wild populations through natural sexual reproduction," Darek Moreau, a researcher in evolutionary ecology at Memorial University in St. John’s told Postmedia News.
Moreau and his colleagues monitored the breeding behaviour of wild and transgenic male Atlantic salmon in a lab setting over two years. They found that wild male salmon were more successful at breeding, but the genetically modified males still managed to spawn naturally even if they tended to show less interest in female salmon and bred less frequently.
More at
Vancouver Sun Article on Male GM Salmon interbreeding with wild

Filed under: Salmon | 1 Comment »

Fish often mislabeled as wild salmon or red snapper, report alleges–LA Times Blog

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Al Bergstein

5/25 LA Times Blog

There’s something fishy about seafood, an international ocean advocacy group contends in Bait and Switch <http://na.oceana.org/en/news-media/publications/reports/bait-and-switch-how-seafood-fraud-hurts-our-oceans-our-wallets-and-our-health> , a seafood fraud report released Wednesday. According to Oceana, in Washington, D.C., seafood is often mislabeled in restaurants and at stores. Packaging and processing may also underestimate the amount of breading and ice in frozen fish products. 
Citing DNA tests of 1,000 fish filet samples from dozens of U.S. cities over the past four years, the report said that only 50% of the fish tested were the species listed on the label. Fish labeled as red snapper, wild salmon and Atlantic cod are actually other fish 25% to 70% of the time, the report said, with rockfish and tilapia often substituted for snapper, farmed salmon for wild, and pollock for Atlantic cod.
More at
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/05/seafood-fraud.html

Filed under: Salmon | Comments Off on Fish often mislabeled as wild salmon or red snapper, report alleges–LA Times Blog

Wild coho salmon show signs of recovery

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Al Bergstein

Good news here….

3/1 Kitsap Sun — By Christopher Dunagan

OLYMPIA — Wild coho salmon are expected to return to Puget Sound in strong numbers this year — though that may not translate directly into increased fishing opportunities, according to salmon managers.

Some 600,000 wild coho, also known as “silvers,” are expected to be heading toward Puget Sound this year, according to an annual forecast released Tuesday by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. That’s double the 298,000 coho predicted last year.

The result could be higher numbers of spawning salmon returning to their natal streams — a good step for the recovery of depressed coho stocks. But it further complicates the effort to set up this year’s salmon seasons, according to Pat Pattillo, who is leading the planning effort for Fish and Wildlife.

More at
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/mar/01/wild-coho-salmon-show-signs-of-recovery/

Filed under: Salmon | 1 Comment »

Canada, U.S. may restrict chinook salmon harvest to benefit killer whales

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Al Bergstein

2/3/11 Vancouver Sun
Canada, U.S. may restrict chinook salmon harvest to benefit killer whales
By LARRY PYNN, Vancouver Sun

Fishermen in Canada and the U.S. may have to give up part of their lucrative chinook salmon catch to help the recovery of endangered resident killer whales.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release Wednesday it plans to hold a science workshop with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the spring to discuss potential catch restrictions.

The federal agency said that “killer whales depend to a substantial degree on large chinook salmon as a high-calorie food source” and that “killer whale productivity is affected by chinook abundance.”

As a result of the workshop, both countries will be “better able to determine whether and to what extent additional constraints on salmon fishing may be necessary,” it said.

More at
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Canada+restrict+chinook+salmon+harvest+benefit+killer+whales/4213858/story.html

Filed under: Around the Sound, Salmon | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on Canada, U.S. may restrict chinook salmon harvest to benefit killer whales

More good news for salmon

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Al Bergstein

12/23 Tri-Cities Herald – Dam projects improve migration of salmon – By Tri-City Herald

Improvements at all eight federal Snake and lower Columbia River dams boosted the safe migration of juvenile salmon and steelhead last year, a federal study says.

Army Corps of Engineers officials said completion of improvements such as spillway weirs, also called fish slides, help speed young fish downstream past dams by keeping them near the water surface, where they naturally migrate.

For example, tests at Little Goose Dam on the Snake River found 99.4 percent of yearling chinook, 99.8 percent of steelhead and 95.2 percent of sub-yearling chinook passed the dam safely.

The assessment report says in-river survival of juvenile Snake River steelhead migrating to the ocean in 2009 reached its highest level in 12 years, a sign the fish are benefiting from improved surface passage.

More at
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013754442_damimprovements24.html

Filed under: Salmon | Comments Off on More good news for salmon

No fish left behind…where will we fish next?

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Al Bergstein

Any of us that love to fish have realized, instinctively, that fishing is in decline and that what we have lost in one generation, around the Straits, Sound, and out on the oceans, is a diminishing pie split among more and more people

This interesting article, by Science Daily, shows a bit more of the facts behind the belief. It’s real, and it’s getting worse.

‘No Fish Left Behind’ Approach Leaves Earth With Nowhere Left to Fish, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2010) — Earth has run out of room to expand fisheries, according to a new study led by University of British Columbia researchers that charts the systematic expansion of industrialized fisheries.

In collaboration with the National Geographic Society and published in the online journal PLoS ONE, the study is the first to measure the spatial expansion of global fisheries. It reveals that fisheries expanded at a rate of one million sq. kilometres per year from the 1950s to the end of the 1970s. The rate of expansion more than tripled in the 1980s and early 1990s — to roughly the size of Brazil’s Amazon rain forest every year.

Read the whole story here.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101202181122.htm

Filed under: Salmon, Sea Life | Tagged: | Comments Off on No fish left behind…where will we fish next?

What’s happening locally with the environment? Jefferson MRC

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Al Bergstein

Jefferson County Marine Resource Committee will be meeting on Nov. 2nd at 6 to 8 PM at the Maritime Center meeting room. If you are interested in better understanding what is happening on the local front of the Marine environment, and/or you want to get more active in environmental issues around the shoreline, come by to hear a few of the issues. The public is welcome.

At 6:10 Ruth Blyther of the Nature Conservancy will talk about Biological Diversity. Also, committee reports on Marine Stewardship, Olympia Oysters, Eelgrass Protection, Drift Cell Restoration, Mystery Bay Harbor Restoration, and Maynard Beach issues will be discussed.

 

Filed under: Government, Jefferson County, Salmon, Shellfish | Tagged: , | Comments Off on What’s happening locally with the environment? Jefferson MRC

Chum Salmon on the Move in Chico Creek – Kitsap Sun

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Al Bergstein

10/23 Kitsap Sun
By Christopher Dunagan
CHICO —
Chum salmon are swimming into Chico Creek a little early this year, but they’re finding no impediments at Kitsap Golf and Country Club, where a major stream restoration is nearing completion.
“Chum are spawning throughout the system,” said Jon Oleyar, a biologist with the Suquamish Tribe who keeps track of the local salmon migration. “This is the earliest they have been in Chico Creek for the past eight years.
“The fish look healthy,” he added, “and they’re a good size.”
More at
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/oct/23/chum-salmon-on-the-move-in-chico-creek/

Support your local newspaper. Subscribe.

Filed under: Around the Sound, Puget Sound, Salmon | Tagged: | Comments Off on Chum Salmon on the Move in Chico Creek – Kitsap Sun

Fraser River system revived by biggest sockeye salmon run in nearly 100 years

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Al Bergstein

It’s a great thing to see at least a one time run of sockeye come back in such great shape. It’s worth understanding that this is only one of the species of salmon, and that other runs are decimated and some species almost extinct.  So we can cheer this, but be cautious of the inevitable backlash of people who don’t believe in environmental protections (and their political supporters) using this to tell the general public that there is ‘nothing wrong’.  This is one victory for Canada, and we need to step up efforts so that we can see this kind of returns for all species of salmon. Some folks I’ve talked to who are knowledgeable seem to think that the sockeye experienced a particularly favorable year of ocean climate for them. Maybe less predators?  More food? Whatever it was, we are glad.

10/18 Globe and Mail
MARK HUME

At the mouth of what may be the world’s richest salmon river, Greg Schuler is wading slowly through a massive school of dead fish, doing fisheries research the hard way.

A senior technician with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, he is counting fish by hand, lifting each on a forked spear, then lopping off its tail with a razor-sharp machete to make sure it isn’t tallied twice.

“It’s all in the wrist,” he says as he cuts a salmon in half with a flick of his blade, a movement he can repeat up to 3,000 times a day.

Some of the fish have spawned in the river and washed downstream, but others have died in Shuswap Lake, before laying their eggs.

More at
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/fraser-river-system-revived-by-biggest-sockeye-salmon-run-in-nearly-100-years/article1760086/

—-

Filed under: Salish Sea, Salmon | Tagged: | Comments Off on Fraser River system revived by biggest sockeye salmon run in nearly 100 years

NOSC reports record summer chum numbers in Chimacum Creek!

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Al Bergstein

Check out the numbers on their blog. Very good news.

http://summerchumrestoration.blogspot.com/

 

Filed under: Jefferson County, Places, Salmon | Comments Off on NOSC reports record summer chum numbers in Chimacum Creek!

Pulling Salmon Back From The Brink: Fisherman and Biologist Mike Schiewe

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Al Bergstein

A  good quick history lesson on the salmon.

10/6 KPLU-FM
Pulling Salmon Back From The Brink: Fisherman and Biologist Mike Schiewe
Liam Moriarty

By the 1990s, Northwest salmon were declared to be on the road to extinction. Fishing was cut back, development was curtailed, and dam and hatchery operations were improved to save the salmon. Are the efforts to turn it around working?

This week KPLU environmental reporter Liam Moriarty talks with Mike Schiewe, a long-time salmon fisherman. He’s also one of the biologists behind the Endangered Species listings.

Listen at
http://salishreflections.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/mike-schiewe/

Filed under: Around the Sound, Salmon, Sea Life | Comments Off on Pulling Salmon Back From The Brink: Fisherman and Biologist Mike Schiewe

Salmon habitat restored in Morse Creek

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Al Bergstein

Really good news. These projects employ locally, they restore habitat and hopefully add to our fish runs. All around winning situation for all of us.

9/5 Peninsula Daily News
By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — After 71 years confined to a narrow channel, Morse Creek has been set free.
The North Olympic Salmon Coalition and its partner agencies last month reactivated 2,400 feet of the channel and floodplain as it existed in 1939, before a dike was installed that pinned the creek against the valley wall and cut off the large stream from 9.3 acres of floodplain.
The Morse Creek realignment is intended to restore salmon and trout habitat upstream from U.S. Highway 101 near the S curve east of Port Angeles.
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100905/NEWS/309059984/salmon-habitat-restored-in-morse-creek
—

Filed under: Olympic Peninsula, Salmon | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Salmon habitat restored in Morse Creek

Huge salmon runs bring cash bonanza for U.S. and Canadian fishermen – Seattle Times

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Al Bergstein

8/25 Seattle Times
Huge salmon runs bring cash bonanza for U.S. and Canadian fishermen
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter

In 40 years of dropping nets into Washington waters, Ray Forsman has never experienced fishing like this past week.

He headed off early in the morning to the fishing grounds, and in two brief sets of his purse-seine net, filled up his boat with 70,000 pounds of sockeye. The fish, yielding ruby-red fillets, were worth more than $100,000.

A couple of days later, he quickly filled up his boat once again.

More at
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012724093_frasersockeye.html

Filed under: Around the Sound, Salmon | Comments Off on Huge salmon runs bring cash bonanza for U.S. and Canadian fishermen – Seattle Times

« Previous Page — Next Page »