PT – Quimper Grange to host documentaries on GMO products

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Quimper Grange will be hosting four documentaries on how genetically engineered foods impact our health, the health of our agricultural system and the health of the environment. (A poster describing the films is attached).

If you are only now becoming aware of the campaign to get Genetically Modified foods (GMO) at least labeled properly or the threat to our food supplies and your ability to continue to get organic food, then you should think of seeing one of these if not all these films.

The schedule for Quimper Grange screenings are:

AG 28, 7:00 — THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO

SEPT 4, 7:00 — SEEDS OF DEATH

SEPT 11, 7:00 — GENETIC ROULETTE – THE GAMBLE OF OUR LIVES

SEPT 16, 7:00 — SEEDS OF FREEDOM

GMO Films 11x17 size

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on PT – Quimper Grange to host documentaries on GMO products

$3.7M in NOAA fish-habitat grants awarded to 3 NW states – Seattle Times

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Al Bergstein

he National Marine Fisheries Service announced $3.7 million in grants Tuesday for fish-habitat restoration in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The largest grant, $1.4 million, goes for three projects to restore nearly 500 acres of flood-plain habitat on Puget Sound. An additional $1 million with Snohomish County will help restore nearly 330 acres of wetland in the Snohomish River estuary.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021652443_noaagrantsxml.html

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on $3.7M in NOAA fish-habitat grants awarded to 3 NW states – Seattle Times

BirdNote: Woodpeckers as Keystone Species

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Woodpeckers – including this Northern Flicker – are master carpenters of the bird world. They’re called “keystone species” for their crucial role in creating habitat suited to other woodland wildlife. Abandoned woodpecker nest-holes become nests or roosts for small owls, cavity-nesting ducks, swifts, bluebirds, swallows, wrens, and other birds, as well as many small mammals.
http://birdnote.org/show/woodpeckers-keystone-species

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on BirdNote: Woodpeckers as Keystone Species

Salish Sea Health Report–EPA and Environment Canada

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Al Bergstein

The scorecard from both the US EPA and the Canadian version of the EPA, Environment Canada. http://www2.epa.gov/salish-sea

The sad reality is we are essentially losing in some of the most key areas. Good news is we now know it and are working on it.

To help convey the status and trends of ecosystem components and how they relate to human activities, ten indicators address the following questions:

  1. What’s happening?
  2. Why is it important?
  3. Why is it happening?
  4. What are we doing about it?

salishsea-map-wwuMap courtesy of Western Washington University

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | Comments Off on Salish Sea Health Report–EPA and Environment Canada

Study confirms farmed fish can spread virus to Pacific herring–Herring Conservation Society

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Experimental infection studies demonstrating Atlantic salmon as a host and reservoir of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus type IVa with insights into pathology and host immunity.

Lovy J, Piesik P, Hershberger PK, Garver KA.
Source
Herring Conservation & Research Society, 1-5765 Turner Road, Suite 403, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6M4, Canada; Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6N7, Canada. Electronic address: Jan.Lovy@dep.state.nj.us.

In British Columbia, Canada (BC), aquaculture of finfish in ocean netpens has the potential for pathogen transmission between wild and farmed species due to the sharing of an aquatic environment. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is enzootic in BC and causes serious disease in wild Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, which often enter and remain in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, netpens. Isolation of VHSV from farmed Atlantic salmon has been previously documented, but the effects on the health of farmed salmon and the wild fish sharing the environment are unknown. To determine their susceptibility, Atlantic salmon were exposed to a pool of 9 isolates of VHSV obtained from farmed Atlantic salmon in BC by IP-injection or by waterborne exposure and cohabitation with diseased Pacific herring. Disease intensity was quantified by recording mortality, clinical signs, histopathological changes, cellular sites of viral replication, expression of interferon-related genes, and viral tissue titers. Disease ensued in Atlantic salmon after both VHSV exposure methods.

Fish demonstrated gross disease signs including darkening of the dorsal skin, bilateral exophthalmia, light cutaneous hemorrhage, and lethargy. The virus replicated within endothelial cells causing endothelial cell necrosis and extensive hemorrhage in anterior kidney. Infected fish demonstrated a type I interferon response as seen by up-regulation of genes for IFN_, Mx, and ISG15. In a separate trial infected salmon transmitted the virus to sympatric Pacific herring. The results demonstrate that farmed Atlantic salmon can develop clinical VHS and virus can persist in the tissues for at least 10 weeks. Avoiding VHS epizootics in Atlantic salmon farms would limit the potential of VHS in farmed Atlantic salmon, the possibility for further host adaptation in this species, and virus spillback to sympatric wild fishes.

Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

Disease killing Pacific herring threatens salmon, scientist warns – Globe and Mail

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Independent fisheries scientist Alexandra Morton is raising concerns about a disease she says is spreading through Pacific herring causing fish to hemorrhage. Ms. Morton has called on the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to investigate, saying it could cause large-scale herring kills and infect wild salmon, which feed heavily on herring…. Ms. Morton, a researcher and environmental advocate who campaigns against fish farms, said she caught some herring with similar symptoms in beach seine nets in 2011, but was unable to get DFO to investigate.
Mark Hume reports.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/disease-killing-pacific-herring-threatens-salmon-scientist-warns/article13722113/

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

A Challenging Tribal Canoe Journey Strengthens Culture – Earthfix

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Al Bergstein

The incoming tide breaks at Angie Mason’s shins and soaks her rolled jeans. She stands unfazed by the surf, waiting to welcome her son and daughter ashore on their tribe’s canoe. To Mason — of the Bella Bella First Nation — the splashing salt water is the least of her worries. Traveling from the remote central coast of British Columbia, the Bella Bella tribe paddled south for more than a month, logging 15 to 20 miles a day. The tribal canoe journey is an annual celebration that recognizes the cultural importance of canoe travel to indigenous people. This year’s journey was the Paddle to Quinault, with a final destination at the shores of the Quinault Indian Reservation on the Olympic Peninsula. Mason was one of thousands gathered to welcome 89 canoes there last week. Katie Campbell, Sarah Vaira and Ryan Hasert report.

http://earthfix.opb.org/communities/article/a-challenging-tribal-canoe-journey-strengthens-cul/

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on A Challenging Tribal Canoe Journey Strengthens Culture – Earthfix

State Department of Natural Resources announces trial geoduck aquaculture lease initiative on state owned lands – DNR

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Al Bergstein

It is not clear where these trial tracks are located. Expect followup when known.

STATE DNR ANNOUNCES TRIAL GEODUCK AQUACULTURE LEASE INITIATIVE ON STATE-OWNED AQUATIC LANDS

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that it is initiating a small pilot program to allow geoduck aquaculture on a limited number of state-owned aquatic lands.

DNR anticipates entering into lease agreements with existing applicants once all environmental review and permitting processes are complete. This effort is a follow-up to commitments made by the agency in 2007. Numerous steps remain before active aquaculture would begin on public lands including potential site assessment; State Environmental Policy Act review; issuance of local government conditional use permits; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Title 401 permitting; and Washington Department of Health Certification.

In 2007, the Legislature established a geoduck aquaculture research program under Washington Sea Grant and established a regulatory advisory committee with participation from government, Treaty Tribes, and citizen representatives to help guide related research. DNR plans to require monitoring at geoduck cultivation sites on state-owned aquatic land to provide further opportunity to study the effects of geoduck aquaculture on the aquatic environment.

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/BusinessPermits/News/Pages/2013_08_02_dnr_announces_trial_geoduck_aquaculture_leases_nr.aspx

Filed under: Around the Sound, Government | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on State Department of Natural Resources announces trial geoduck aquaculture lease initiative on state owned lands – DNR

Washington Developing New Rules For Derelict Vessels – Earthfix

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Al Bergstein

The Washington Department of Ecology is developing a new permit that lays out clear rules for the deconstruction of derelict vessels over water. Currently, any approved dismantling of an abandoned or defunct ship must happen at a dry-dock facility. But Ecology officials hope establishing the permit will open a new door for the safe removal of some of the 153 derelict vessels now languishing on Washington waterways.

Eric Florip reports. http://earthfix.kcts9.org/water/article/washington-developing-new-rules-for-derelict-vesse/

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | Comments Off on Washington Developing New Rules For Derelict Vessels – Earthfix

NOAA: Puget Sound Killer Whales To Stay Protected – AP

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Al Bergstein

NOAA throws out the claims by the Pacific Legal Foundation (a conservative legal action organization that fights against environmental laws, among other issues), that that the Puget Sound Southern Resident pod was not unique. The people that funded this ought to replace their lawyers, who might have warned them that the argument was absurd and a waste of time and money.

SEATTLE (AP) — Killer whales that spend their summers in Puget Sound are a distinct population group and will remain protected under the Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday.

Read the whole story at:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/noaa-puget-sound-killer-whales-stay-protected

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

Canoe Journey 2013

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Canoe Journey 2013

Photos by Al Bergstein

Arriving in the fog in Port Townsend. Sunday

Filed under: Events, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula, Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Canoe Journey 2013

The challenge of the Canoe Journey | Paddle to Quinault – PDN

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Safe journeys to our friends, who are headed to The Quinault Nation, down the coast. 

When pulling in a Northwest tribal canoe, the key is balance: each puller’s stroke must be made in unison, the pullers must support and trust each other. So what happens when the ocean literally turns you sideways, taking control of your movements? You paddle on anyway. This year’s Canoe Journey ends in Taholah on the Quinault Nation reservation, on the Pacific Coast of the Olympic Peninsula. For many, this will be the first time pulling in the challenging open ocean, unlike the relative calm of the protected inland waters of Puget Sound. Megan Stephanson reports.

 

http://www.northkitsapherald.com/news/216074521.html

 

Also see: Paddle journey canoes greeted at Fort Worden — next stop Jamestown Beach near Sequim today.

http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130722/NEWS/307229992/paddle-journey-canoes-greeted-at-fort-worden-8212-next-stop

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on The challenge of the Canoe Journey | Paddle to Quinault – PDN

Catch and Release for Puget Sound’s Rockfish: the Catch is in the Release – San Juan Islander

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Now here’s a great idea, and an issue that I was discussing on the radio with Phil Andrus just last Friday. Congratulations to Puget Sound Anglers for trying something really different. 

Recreational fishermen have been practicing catch-and-release fishing for years. Anglers who fish Washington’s Puget Sound waters are no exception. The assumption has always been that the release part of the equation will result in a free-swimming fish that will survive. Barbless hooks, minimum handling, and quick return to the water have all been developed to insure high survival rates. But fish caught at substantial depths – 30 feet or more – present their own challenge and it’s a tough one. Fish don’t typically get the bends – that sometimes fatal nitrogen-gas syndrome that befalls human scuba divers who rise too rapidly from depth – but some fish can get something equally dangerous: barotrauma…. To increase the survival of released fish, marine anglers are using devices, like release weights and baskets, to manually lower fish to the appropriate depth before releasing them. Known as recompression, lowering fish to their natural depths in a controlled manner allows the gas to be reabsorbed into their bodies. This increases their chances of survival. This spring, Puget Sound Anglers, the largest fishing club in the state of Washington, dedicated time and resources to combat barotrauma. In April, the organization purchased 330 recompression devices, essentially a mechanism that allows anglers to lower and release fish to natural depths. The manufacturer donated an additional 100 apparatuses. 

Read the whole story here. 

http://www.sanjuanislander.com/island-newshome/environment/6629-catch-and-release-for-puget-sounds-rockfish-the-catch-is-in-the-release

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

Inslee picks salmon recovery coordinator- The Olympian

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

The Governor moves to fill position on Salmon Recovery Board. 

A Littlerock man has been selected to lead Gov. Jay Inslee’s Salmon Recovery Office, which coordinates regional efforts to return salmon from the brink of extinction. Brian Abbott, the governor’s appointee, joined the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office in 2000 and now leads the salmon recovery grant section. Before that, he was the district manager for the Pierce Conservation District, where he created and coordinated the district’s salmon recovery programs. He also served as vice president and president of the nonprofit South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group. 

Read the whole story here…

http://www.theolympian.com/2013/07/20/2630331/inslee-picks-salmon-recovery-coordinator.html

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Inslee picks salmon recovery coordinator- The Olympian

Whale patrol cut in B.C., boosted in U.S. – Times Colonist

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

More boats from Washington state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife will patrol the U.S. side of the Juan de Fuca Strait to look for boaters who disturb southern resident killer whales. The increased patrols are an effort to protect the endangered whales, whose numbers have dipped to their lowest in more than a decade. On the B.C. side, however, there will be fewer eyes on the water. Straitwatch, the group tasked with watching and educating boaters, was told last month it would not receive Environment Canada funding this year, meaning its Salish Sea and Alert Bay boats will remain beached. Judith Lavoie reports. 

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/whale-patrol-cut-in-b-c-boosted-in-u-s-1.545640

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | Comments Off on Whale patrol cut in B.C., boosted in U.S. – Times Colonist

Event: PT Marine Science Center – Oceanography on the Docks

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Oceanography on the Dock upcoming sessions:

July 22 and 29 from 1 – 2:30 pm.This program is free and open to the public. Try your hand at being a scientist. Use oceanography tools. Learn why we measure things such as pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients in the water. Drop in or stay as long as you like. Last week was the training, but if you are interested in learning how to conduct this program, please contact Shannon.  More sessions will be scheduled for July, August and into the fall. Find the dates on PTMSC’s blog. 

www.ptmsc.org

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | Comments Off on Event: PT Marine Science Center – Oceanography on the Docks

The Olympic Peninsula Environmental News on KPTZ.org today at Noon(ish) PST.

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Tune in to listen to 30 minutes of the latest in the environmental news for the Peninsula. We are generously hosted by Phil Andrus and his show “Tossed Salad”. Should start about 12:05, just after the community calendar.

Streaming but no podcast, yet.

http://www.kptz.org

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on The Olympic Peninsula Environmental News on KPTZ.org today at Noon(ish) PST.

After a 100-year absence, sockeye return to Lake Cle Elum

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Some said it couldn’t be done. But it was done. And it’s being done. Little by little, bringing back the salmon.

For the first time in more than a century, sockeye salmon are returning to Lake Cle Elum high in the Cascades. The project led by the Yakama Indian tribe – on a bare bone’s budget – is getting applause across the continent. And this weekend, tribal members were there to witness something not seen in more than 100 years – sockeye salmon returning from the Pacific Ocean back home to Lake Cle Elum at last. So historic is this for the Yakama Tribe that they call it simply “the return.” Jeff Burnside reports.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/After-a-100-year-absence-sockeye-return-to-Lake-Cle-Elum–215460381.html

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

Lawsuit threatened over Puget Sound rockfish – News Tribune

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Al Bergstein

This is long overdue. The declining health of Puget Sound rockfish has been a known situation for decades and our DOE and DFWS have dithered with endless meetings and virtually no real action to protect this fish that rarely leaves it’s neighborhood during it’s lifetime. You fish them out, and they are gone. While the Feds say “it will have little effect” we’ll see whether that’s true, as the designation could be used for other recovery purposes, apparently. The fact that the Feds are 3 years late in getting this done is just another indicator of how broke the whole system seems at times.

The Center for Biological Diversity said Thursday it intends to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for missing a deadline to designate protected habitat for endangered Puget Sound rockfish.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/07/11/2674247/lawsuit-threatened-over-puget.html

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | 5 Comments »

Event: August 5th- Dungeness Bluffs Nearshore Community Workshop

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Al Bergstein

If you live on a bluff, here on the Olympic Peninsula, and are worried about erosion, then you might want to take this workshop.

5august2013Dungeness Community Workshop Press Release CWI final 2

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Event: August 5th- Dungeness Bluffs Nearshore Community Workshop

« Previous Page — Next Page »