Wild Fish Conservancy Stands Firm Behind PRV Statements

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Al Bergstein

We are reproducing today’s new press release from WFC to allegations by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife about the previous findings by the WFC in lab tests. There is obviously pushback from WDFW because if these findings are accurate, and there is no reason at this point to question them, it opens up many questions about whether WDFW has been doing it’s job, or whether they have been protecting the net pen industry. I can only say that there has been considerable support of net pens by WDFW (and Department of Ecology for that matter) over the years, so much so that it has been very difficult for any outside organization to question them about it. But of course, in B.C. a similar thing happened with the government agencies that should have been protecting the wild fish, but were actually simply in support with the net pen industries no matter what independent science found to be true.

 

 

In light of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) response to Wild Fish Conservancy’s (WFC) press release on February 15th, we stand firm behind our original statements, and aim to briefly but fully clarify our position on the matter of Piscine Orthoreovirus (PRV) of Norwegian origin found in escaped farmed Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound. It is our intention that this clarification will dispel any charges of inaccuracy when it comes to the PRV threat.

As is stated in the original release, WFC received independent lab results confirming the presence of PRV in 19 of 19 farmed Atlantic salmon tested that had escaped from a large-scale escape event off of Cypress Island in August 2017. Furthermore, testing of the samples showed the strain of PRV to be of Norwegian origin. Specifically, the S1 gene from tissue samples from eight of the 19 fish were sequenced and all identified as Geneotype 1a, which is known to be of Norwegian origin.

We take issue with a number of claims made by WDFW in response to this press release, mainly that the agency did not attempt to accurately represent WFC’s views on the matter, and that WDFW is not taking an appropriately precautionary approach when it comes to evidence of a potentially harmful virus being proliferated in Washington’s public waters.

WDFW mischaracterizes our view regarding the Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammatory (HSMI) disease. In the press release we accurately state that HSMI has caused up to 20% mortality in Norwegian net pens. We also state that PRV is known to be the causative agent of HSMI, which has been well documented.

We do not claim, however, that HSMI has been shown to occur in wild Atlantic or Pacific salmon and steelhead. We do not confuse HSMI with PRV, but we do express unease over PRV’s demonstrated relationship to the lethal disease. We are clear that our primary concern is with infection of the virus itself and the concerning possibility that it may cause harm to wild salmon and steelhead, particularly juveniles.

In the press release, WFC states:

“As PRV builds up in a salmon’s red blood cells, the virus may reduce the amount of oxygen cells can transport to the fish’s muscles, lowering the fish’s performance. For a wild fish, reduced performance means a reduced ability to capture prey, evade predators, and swim upriver to spawn.”

This quote identifies a credible biological mechanism by which PRV infection may lead to increased mortality in wild salmon and steelhead. Even in the absence of HSMI, there is the potential for PRV infection to harm wild fish. We believe this potential for harm should not be taken lightly, especially considering the status of the wild ESA-listed salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound.

WFC additionally takes issue with the claim that escaped Atlantic salmon were infected with PRV as a result of stress in the aftermath of escape. 100% of escaped Atlantic salmon tested by both WDFW and WFC (a total of 23 fish) tested positive for

PRV. In a recent broad effort to survey for disease among Alaska and Washington, only 4.6% of Chinook, Coho, and steelhead sampled in Puget Sound tested positive for the virus, a finding that dispels the notion that PRV is ubiquitous among wild fish. Similarly, Norway’s wild salmon disease surveillance program data shows that escaped farmed Atlantic salmon in wild salmon rivers have much higher levels of PRV infection (55% of fish sampled) than either wild-origin conservation hatchery brood stock (24%) or wild salmon (13%). Lacking data that would indicate the absence of the disease prior to escape, WDFW cannot state with any amount of certainty that the disease was contracted in the days following the escape.

As for the issue of the virus’ origin, WFC strongly disagrees with WDFW’s implication that PRV in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea originated in the Pacific Northwest, rather than being imported from Norway. Our independent lab results identified the S1 gene samples of Atlantic salmon as Geneotype 1a, which is known to be of Norwegian origin. WDFW’s implication that the virus is native to the Salish Sea is, at best, highly controversial. Our evaluation of the recent scientific literature on this issue leads us to conclude, in agreement with a majority of researchers who have published on the matter, that it is highly improbable that PRV is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, and that its presence in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea is the result of importation from Norway.

Much of WDFW’s reply treats the press release as if it were a detailed scientific article, rather than a news brief presenting a summary of critical information. In the release WFC provided members of the press and public with references to the relevant scientific journal articles that informed our position; those interested in digging deeper are encouraged to dig deeper. Still, a press release is necessarily brief and general. It is not a scientific document, and a reviewer should not treat it as such. The testing of the tissue samples from the Atlantic salmon that escaped from the Cypress Island pen, the general results of which we announced in the press release, is part of an ongoing collaborative research project soon to be published in a major scientific journal. Contact information has been provided at the bottom of this press release, please don’t hesitate to contact WFC to request more information regarding the information provided in this release.

When it comes to the impacts of PRV on our wild salmon and steelhead, the science strongly indicates that Washington state agencies need to take a measured and precautionary approach, not a dismissive one. In Puget Sound, wild Pacific salmon and steelhead find themselves at considerable risk, with several species threatened with extinction and many surviving at only a fraction of their historical abundance. Even a small amount of risk from the spread of PRV, compounded with the other stressors our wild fish populations face, has the potential to bring about disastrous consequences to already imperiled wild salmon and steelhead. Due to this concern, a measured and precautionary approach dictates that state agencies must err heavily on the side of caution.

The burden of proof that PRV does not cause harm to wild fish does not rest on wild fish. The burden of proof, rather, lies squarely with the Atlantic salmon net pen industry and regulatory state agencies. This burden has yet to be shouldered by the industry and its defenders.

To date, WFC has not seen sufficient evidence from either of these entities that PRV will not harm wild fish. In standing firm on our concern over the impacts of PRV to wild Pacific salmon, WFC calls on WDFW and other state agencies to accomplish the following:

1. Stop all restocking of Atlantic salmon net pens until thorough industry-independent testing has proven the Atlantic salmon hatchery is not planting PRV infected fish.

2. Immediately test all Atlantic salmon net pens in Puget Sound for PRV.

3. Remove all PRV-infected Atlantic salmon from Puget Sound net pens.

4. Immediately disinfect facilities showing any trace of PRV.

We maintain that these actions are essential to ensure that PRV-infected fish are not being planted into public waters and that Atlantic salmon raised in net pens are not amplifying and spreading the virus in public waters where it places our native salmon and steelhead at risk.

For more information, please contact:

Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director

(425) 788-1167

Or email us at:

info@wildfishconservancy.org

 

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Thousands more trees planted on Tarboo Creek during Plant-A-Thon – PDN

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Al Bergstein

In one day, 180 volunteers planted 4,300 native trees and shrubs along Tarboo Creek. The Northwest Watershed Institute’s Plant-A-Thon, an annual event since 2005, was held this year on Feb. 4. Volunteers from area schools worked to restore salmon and wildlife habitat, as well as reduce climate change impacts, by planting 2,300 native trees, and installing 2,000 live stakes of willow and other native shrubs along Tarboo Creek, said Jude Rubin, director of stewardship and public involvement for Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI). The Plant-A-Thon has become the largest environmental service project in East Jefferson County, Rubin said. (Peninsula Daily News)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/life/thousands-more-trees-planted-on-tarboo-creek-during-plant-a-thon/

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Orca protection bill stumbles and dies on state Senate floor – Watching Our Waterways

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Al Bergstein

State legislation that would increase protection for Puget Sound’s killer whales died this week amidst confusing action on the Senate floor. Now, orca advocates are pushing a narrower bill approved by the House to limit remote-controlled aircraft around whales, while they also hope for a $3-million budget appropriation to support other orca protection measures. Whether people should be allowed to fly a drone around the endangered Southern Resident orcas seems to be the issue stirring up the most attention in the Legislature — although it is a small part of the overall effort. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

 https://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2018/02/17/orca-protection-bill-stumbles-and-dies-on-state-senate-floor/

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Cooke Aquaculture inspection finds problems at 2 other Atlantic salmon pens  – Seattle Times

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Al Bergstein

Deficiencies have been found at Cooke Aquaculture’s Atlantic salmon net pens in Puget Sound by an independent inspector, the state Department of Natural Resources reports. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz ordered inspections of all nine of Cooke’s net pens after a catastrophic collapse of one of its net pens at Cypress Island in the San Juans last August, allowing more than 200,000 Atlantic salmon to escape into the Salish Sea. The latest inspections from the contractor hired by the state, Mott MacDonald of Edmonds, found deficiencies at Cooke’s operations at its Hope Island and Rich Passage facilities, according to the reports released Friday. Problems included poor condition and deterioration of some anchor lines, surface rust and corrosion on parts of the facilities and concern about whether anchors were inside the boundaries of the net-pen leases. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/cooke-aquaculture-inspection-finds-problems-at-2-other-operations/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=mobile-app&utm_campaign=ios

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Mussels on drugs found near Victoria sewage outfalls – CBC

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Al Bergstein

For years, Victorians of all political stripes have been discounting their lack of a sewage system. Every time I’ve put a story up here, a couple of Victorians have, out of the blue, weighed in. I’ve even heard younger Victorians, who claim to be “green” tell me to my face that, “it’s no big deal” that their raw sewage has been pouring into the Strait for decades after every other city on the Strait and Salish Sea seems to have put in tertiary or secondary treatment systems. I rarely ever challenge them when they do that, as it’s pointless to argue with people who refuse to even look at scientific data. Well, the CBC finally looked into it, and the unfortunate joke is on them, as they have likely been poisoning themselves and their children if they have been eating any of the shellfish or bottom feeders from the area around their city.

As stated in the article, the sewage treatment plant *should* remove many of these chemicals. Now it is up to the local environmental departments to get the message out that people should not be dumping their pharmaceuticals and other chemicals down the sink or in the toilet. My hope is that, in some distant time, we will actually stop dumping *all* our wastes into the Straits and Salish Sea. Composting toilets have advanced to a place where we should be able to end the expensive and stupid habit that we have picked up in the last 100 years. While it was an improvement over what came before it, we have paid a price for it. There are no free lunches.

Monitoring by the Capital Regional District has found high concentrations of antidepressants, as well as other pharmaceuticals and personal care products in shellfish near the sewage outfalls around Victoria.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sewage-victoria-crd-drugs-contamination-mussels-pharmaceuticals-1.4537222?utm_source=Sightline%20Institute&utm_medium=web-email&utm_campaign=Sightline%20News%20Selections

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Contrary to agency claims, escaped Atlantic salmon were infected with a highly contagious and harmful virus – Wild Fish Conservency

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Al Bergstein

The stories and assurances  that the net pen industry and their allies have told for years are now proven to be just lies.  I have sat in Marine Resource Committee meetings and had the industry rep blithely tell the group, with no scientific evidence,  that “there are no diseases down here, that’s a Canadian problem. ”  The WDFW, DNR and Ecology have been telling lawmakers there’s no problem, the escaped fish represent no threat because they are healthy and can’t interbreed. One thing that nature teaches us is that it only takes one genetic mutation to change everything in evolution. Let’s get the bill to phase out net pens passed and put this nightmare to an end.

To remedy the harm that may be imparted to our wild fish, and to get to the bottom of the disease’s source, WFC calls on WDFW, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and Washington Department of Ecology to:
1. Stop all restocking of Atlantic salmon net pens until thorough testing has proven the Atlantic salmon hatchery is not planting PRV infected fish.
2. Immediately test all Atlantic salmon net pens in Puget Sound for PRV.
3. Remove all PRV infected Atlantic salmon from Puget Sound net pens.
4. Immediately disinfect facilities showing any trace of PRV.
These actions are essential to ensure that diseased, PRV-infected fish are not being planted into public waters and that Atlantic salmon raised in net pens are not amplifying the virus and spreading it in the public’s waters where it places our native salmon at risk.
“Hopefully the Washington state legislature will successfully pass legislation to phase out Atlantic salmon net pens in Puget Sound, but in the interim, this alone is far from enough to protect our wild salmon from this industry,” said Kurt Beardslee.“
It’s absolutely critical that our state agencies take immediate action to ensure we’re not planting or amplifying viruses into our public waters.”

WFCPressRelease2.15_Page_1WFCPressRelease2.15_Page_2WFCPressRelease2.15_Page_3

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Washington state House votes to ban Atlantic salmon farms – KUOW

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Al Bergstein

This has been a wild ride to try and keep up with the various bills in the House and the Senate and whether they are in or out as of this moment as to banning Atlantic salmon farms. Here’s 8PM on Feb 14th’s latest report:

The Washington House of Representatives has voted to phase out farming of non-native fish in state waters, drawing the end of Atlantic salmon farming in Puget Sound one step closer.

http://kuow.org/post/washington-state-house-votes-ban-atlantic-salmon-farms

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2/13 – Atlantic Salmon Net Pen Bill

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Al Bergstein
This is now dated information. See newer posts.
This morning we learned some important news on the future of Atlantic salmon net pen legislation that requires an immediate action alert from anyone today with capacity.
Two Big Developments:
1. Rep. Blake has apparently announced that he will not be bringing Sen Ranker’s bill– SB6086– up for a vote.  There is still a public hearing scheduled at this time but it looks like the Senate bill making it to the House floor is highly unlikely.
2. As of today HB2957 is on the floor calendar for the House.  This is Rep. Lytton’s phase-out bill that was amended during committee and turned back into a study bill.  House Democrats have been caucusing this morning on the issue and we suspect that there will be a vote on this bill on the floor later today or tomorrow.   
The hope is that Rep. Lytton and Rep. Chapman will be able to strike the study bill amendment and call for a vote on the original phase-out bill language.
NEXT STEPS:
We’re urging anyone who has capacity to send an action alert today asking constituents to call their House Reps in support of a phase-out.  There will be sample language shared this afternoon but for the sake of time the most important factors are to express urgency that the future of this legislation is at risk and we need calls to Reps in support of a phase-out today.
Audubon and a few others from the coalition are going to be working to put together a phone bank for this afternoon that can be accessed remotely.  If your organization has capacity or interest in supporting this effort please respond to this email.

Filed under: legislation, Puget Sound | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Supreme Court of WA throws out challenge to Jefferson County SMP

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Al Bergstein

On February 7th the Washington state Supreme Court threw out the challenges to the Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program (SMP), by the Olympic Stewardship Foundation. This long running challenge finally ends the attempts to stop the county and Ecology from setting county standards for setbacks and other uses of the nearshore. It should also serve as a warning to others trying to challenge SMPs that it is extremely difficult to stop them from becoming law, after the fact of enactment. Involvement up front is much more useful. Coming to the table to help debate the issues as they are brought up, rather than sit on the sidelines and threaten legal action if your demands are not met, just seems like a losing strategy in this particular situation.

To all the hard working people who volunteered their time to give input and review, and to the County Commissioners who took the stance that the public favored stricter protection over less strict, thank you.

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

New Puget Sound herring research – Puget Sound Institute

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Al Bergstein

A good article to help you with understanding the role of forage fish in our Puget Sound environment. While I have your interest in this, as the Board President of Sound Action, I would be remiss in not mentioning that our little non-profit exists to monitor the granting of Hydraulic permits (HPA) by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. (WDFW). We challenge them if necessary. Each year we review more than 500 permits and file dozens of appeals, with most having a positive resolution. You can find more on our work at http://www.soundaction.org. But now for the rest of the story.

Herring may not be the most charismatic species in Puget Sound. They don’t breach dramatically out of the water. Fish mongers don’t throw them through the air at Pike Place Market. They find their strength in numbers, schooling around by the thousands and serving as food for other creatures like seabirds, salmon and seals. But if it weren’t for these small, unsung fish, the Salish Sea might be a very different place. Herring and other so-called forage fish — named for their role as important food (forage) for other species — are foundational to the Salish Sea food web. They are so critical that the Puget Sound Partnership has identified them as a ‘Vital Sign’ for the health of the ecosystem. And that is why many scientists are worried. Some populations of Puget Sound herring are in dangerous decline. There are also major gaps in our knowledge of their ecology and life history. (Puget Sound Institute)

https://www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/2018/02/new-puget-sound-herring-research/

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Navy taking comment on draft plan for land, cold-water maritime training -PDN

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Al Bergstein

More Navy needs for our lands and parks.

PORT TOWNSEND — The U.S. Navy is hosting an open house in Port Townsend tonight to provide information on its proposed special operations training in Western Washington.

The Naval Special Warfare Command proposes to conduct small-unit land and cold-water maritime training activities for naval special operations personnel.

…The open house is set for 5 to 8 tonight at Blue Heron School Commons, 3939 San Juan Ave., Port Townsend. It is the only open house planned on the North Olympic Peninsula.

I highly recommend you come out and let them know what you think of their proposals.

The whole story is here: https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/navy-taking-comment-on-draft-plan-for-land-cold-water-maritime-training/

Support local newspapers and subscribe to the PDN and PT Leader.

 

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Atlantic salmon-farming company sues Washington state to keep its Port Angeles site open – Seattle Times

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Al Bergstein

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/atlantic-salmon-farming-company-sues-washington-state-to-keep-its-port-angeles-site-open/

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Washington state cancels lease for Atlantic salmon farm off Cypress Island -PDN & Seattle Times

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Al Bergstein

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz has terminated Cooke Aquaculture’s lease to operate Atlantic salmon farms at its Cypress Island site, where a second fish farm is at risk of catastrophic collapse, state inspectors say. In a letter to Cooke managers sent Saturday, Franz said the lease is terminated immediately and the company should wind up its operations and clear out of the site in the San Juan Islands, where one of three pens fell apart last August, releasing more than 260,000 Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound. The termination comes just days after state investigators released a report blaming the net-pen failure on company negligence. The investigators also said the company misled the public and regulators about the scope and causes of the collapse. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Mix of net pen bills takes aim at non-native salmon http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/politics/mix-of-net-pen-bills-takes-aim-at-non-native-salmon/ Mark Swanson reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/washington-state-cancels-lease-for-atlantic-salmon-farm-off-cypress-island/

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Volunteers set out native plants on new beach on Elwha – PDN

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Al Bergstein

The last segment of a fish-blocking dam came down four years ago, but Elwha River restoration work continues. Whale Scout volunteers and Northwest Indian College students — most from the Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish tribes — planted 800 native plants on the east side of the mouth of the Elwha River on Jan. 27. The planting was hosted by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on newly created beach formed when decades of sediment were released after the removal of two Elwha River dams in a $324 million project. (Peninsula Daily News)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/volunteers-set-out-native-plants-on-new-beach/

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Feds postpone offshore drilling meeting

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Al Bergstein

From a friend: (Updated on Monday at 9 AM)

I just got word through WEC (Washington Environmental Council) that the public meeting on offshore oil and gas that was scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) in Tacoma was cancelled Sunday.  No doubt there are hundreds of people who were going to attend meeting and other events will not have heard this news and will drive to Tacoma to find a notice on the door of the courthouse.

There is some question as to why the event was cancelled but a search at 9AM on Monday on Twitter shows that the bureau of Ocean Energy Management,  https://www.boem.gov/National-Program-Participate/    have announced that the “venue was no longer available”. Very odd.

Any suspicion on our parts is totally in line with the ongoing contentious and random nature of the present administration in Washington. Sudden announcements with no advance warning on such monumental issues as opening up vast amounts of coastline to drilling has even alarmed Governors around the country. The current administration seems to make things up on the fly, throw them out at the public and then show a lack of preparedness for events such as this.

WEC has promised to  send out word as soon as they find out when another meeting is scheduled.  Please spread the word to anyone you might know who was planning to attend.

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | 4 Comments »

What’s killing the salmon? Long Live the Kings investigates decline in iconic fish – KCPQ

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Al Bergstein

Good overview of what Long Live The Kings and Microsoft are doing to help us understand root causes of the decline of the salmon.

Salmon are a big part of life in the Pacific Northwest. But over the past couple of decades, they’ve declined to critical levels and researchers don’t know why. Solving the mystery is what nonprofit Long Live the Kings is working on, and thanks to a grant from Microsoft, technology is helping the nonprofit develop a comprehensive model to find clues to solve it. Long Live the Kings is looking into Puget Sound and the waterways the flow into it, more broadly known as the Salish Sea. This Salish Sea Marine Survival Project is tracking migration of fish through our marine environment to understand what’s affecting salmons’ mortality.  Simply, why do salmon keep dying? Tatevik Aprikyan reports. (KCPQ)

http://q13fox.com/2018/01/30/whats-killing-the-salmon-long-live-the-kings-investigates-decline-in-iconic-fish/

Filed under: Puget Sound, Salmon | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

5 counties warned state about salmon-farming back in 2012 – Everett Herald

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Al Bergstein

A good review of the work done in the last ten years fighting net pen salmon. Here in Jefferson County, it was work by the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee, which voted to recommend supporting the SMP language that would ban net pens in the county, and followed by the support of all three county commissioners, especially now retired Commissioner Phil Johnson.

Not long ago, some of the loudest political voices railing against the danger of farming Atlantic salmon in the waters of Puget Sound came from within chambers of county governments. Back in 2012, leaders of Island, Whatcom, Jefferson, Skagit and San Juan counties — Democrat and Republican — called for a moratorium on such fish farm operations. They also sought authority to include a ban on them in their respective shoreline management plans. They reached out to executives in state agencies as well as former Gov. Chris Gregoire and, later, Gov. Jay Inslee. They lobbied lawmakers and sought backing of tribes in their quest. “While Washington state missteps with outdated science, local governments desiring to recognize modern science, job, and environmental and public threats, ask that they be permitted to ban these open finfish feedlots before they destroy the native species, their habitats, and the jobs we have worked so diligently to protect,” former Island County Commissioner Angie Homola wrote in a six-page issue paper delivered to Inslee in August 2014. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

http://www.heraldnet.com/news/5-counties-warned-state-about-salmon-farming-back-in-2012/

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Port Townsend Marine Science Center offers admission by donation to Natural History Exhibit

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Al Bergstein
Pilot program will run through March 25

 

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. – The Port Townsend Marine Science Center announced today it is offering “admission by donation” to the Natural History Exhibit through March 25. The exhibit, which features “Learning From Orcas: The Story of Hope,” is open Friday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m.
“We would all like to see more visitors in the Natural History Exhibit, especially this time of year,” said PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire. “Because we want to serve people from all walks of life, our admission pricing is already low, but even this can be a barrier for some visitors to Fort Worden State Park and from our community.
“We are hoping that this test period between now and the end of March will provide information about how we can best serve our community and visitors alike,” Boire said.
The “pay-as-you-wish” policy has, in recent years, been tested by museums across the county. A 2010 study reported in Science magazine measured the success of selling some souvenir photographs at a fixed price and others for whatever buyers were willing to pay. Researchers found that the greatest revenue came when consumers were informed that a percentage of what they paid went to a charitable cause.
“When visiting the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, we hope our
guests will support our many programs and contribute to our cause —
inspiring conservation of the Salish Sea — by offering a donation
instead of paying admission,” Boire said.
The PTMSC provides place-based, people powered, hands-on learning for all ages, including youth camps, exhibits of marine flora and fauna, educational and historical displays, citizen science programs and community-based lecture series.
The Natural History Exhibit will implement the admission-by-donation policy immediately.
The Marine Exhibit, located on the pier, is closed during the winter and is not affected by the admission-by-donation policy at this time.
“Once we have a couple of months of data to review and compare to past years, we will decide how best to proceed with our admissions policy for our public exhibits starting in the spring,” Boire said.
To view year-round exhibit hours, visit https://ptmsc.org/left-menu/visit-us.
About the Port Townsend Marine Science Center 
Founded in 1982, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center is a non-profit 501c3 educational organization whose mission is to inspire conservation of the Salish Sea. The PTMSC provides place-based, people powered, hands-on learning for all ages including youth camps, exhibits of marine flora and fauna, educational and historical displays, citizen science programs and community-based lecture series. Located at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Wash., the PTMSC offers two public exhibits: the Marine Exhibit and the Natural History Exhibit. For more information, including public hours, visit www.ptmsc.org.

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Rainfall Report from the Chimicum Valley

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Al Bergstein

Al Latham’s monthly report. Good news for our water supply.

Here’s your monthly rainfall report from www.cocorahs.org station WA-JF-1 located 5.1 miles south of Chimacum (slightly off Center) at 470’ elevation.

Gazing at the water level in the Chimacum valley you would think it has been wet.  And you would be right! Water level about as high as it usually gets.

Wetter than usual but actually very similar to 2016.

In January we had 6.45” rain with average being 4.3”.   Water year (Oct 1- Sept. 30) so far is 22.07”, with average 18”.

Port Townsend station had 2.34” January, with water year so far 10.36”.

Lake Cushman station had 23.79” in January, with water year so far 76.96”.

NOAA climate center prognostications are for a warm and “normal” rain in February.  Feb-April they’re guessing cooler temps and more rain.

Til next month…   Al Latham

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Norwegian company to build large, land-based salmon farm in Belfast Maine – Republican Journal

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Al Bergstein

News from Maine, shows that fish farming corporations have finally come to grips with the fact that it’s net pen aquaculture doesn’t work, and are moving to build upland facilities that are financially viable. We hope that the Tribes here in Puget Sound, who are holding off support for banning net pens, can use this information to press State Senators Ranker and Van de Wege to add funding for a couple of experimental sites to prove the viability here in Puget Sound. The use of our waters for ‘feed lot’ kind of fish farming, pouring vast arrays of chemicals and fish food must end. We know that the Tribes ‘do the right thing’ as it comes to aquaculture and we hope that they can exert pressure to help them get from this dying technology of net pens, to a new way forward with upland containment.

A Norwegian company plans to build one of the world’s largest land-based salmon farms in Belfast, a project that would create 60 jobs within two years and up to 140 once it is completed, according to the company’s chief executive officer.

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/30/norwegian-company-to-build-large-land-based-salmon-farm-in-belfast/

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