Legacy - February 2015

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Published by:

Wild Game Fish Conservation

International

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Squamish River sunrise

Photo Credit:

Legacy – February 2015

Wild Game Fish Conservation International

2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

Contents Conservationist Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk ___________________________________________________ 5

Fishing photos and videos _________________________________________________________________________ 8

Kim Malcom with a dandy Cabo San Lucas dorado ______________________________________________________ 8

Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits ______________________________________________ 9

Ocean Wise Recommendation Policy __________________________________________________________________ 10

Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:___________________________________________ 12

Are You Trading Your Omega-3s for PCBs with Your Choice of Salmon? _________________________________ 13

Recommended reading: __________________________________________________________________________ 20

“Gre e r W d” ____________________________________________________________________________________ 20

The Salmon __________________________________________________________________________________________ 21

Community Activism, Education, Litigation and Outreach ___________________________________________ 22

Global movement to remove salmon feedlots from our oceans __________________________________________ 22

European Union Enacts Strict Food Labelling Laws _____________________________________________________ 23

Ecojustice goes to court to force veterinary college to investigate fish disease complaint _________________ 24

Sacred Salmon Ceremony: Vedder River, British Columbia ______________________________________________ 26

Protecting our Waterways ____________________________________________________________________________ 27

Wild Salmon Day at Simon Fraser University ___________________________________________________________ 28

Activists gather to protest Keystone pipeline, tar sands oil extraction ____________________________________ 29

Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings ________________________________________ 30

Wild Salmon Warrior Radio – Recent Archives _________________________________________________________ 31

Salmon feedlots __________________________________________________________________________________ 32

Salmon Feedlots: 2014 in Review – Moving Forward in 2015 _____________________________________________ 33

British Columbia Pesticide Use Permit: Marine Harvest _________________________________________________ 34

Newfoundland aquaculture plan update a recipe for disaster ____________________________________________ 35

NS Coalition for Aquaculture Reform supports Implementation of Doelle-Lahey Aquaculture Report in

Full _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38

Sea lice pesticides used in salmon industry may be hazardous __________________________________________ 40

3 FACTS ABOUT FARMED SALMON THAT WILL SHOCK YOU ___________________________________________ 42

Environmental Impacts of Open-Ocean Aquaculture ____________________________________________________ 45

Fin fish on the run in Osterfjorden and Lindas __________________________________________________________ 46

Grieg Seafoods Atlantic Salmon Farm Application: Broughton Archipelago (British Columbia)_____________ 48

MARINE INSTITUTE CALL FOR STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS ON FISH FARMS WELCOMED ___________ 49

Editorial: Wild fish still best choice, but farming is getting better ________________________________________ 51

It is Time to Advertise! ________________________________________________________________________________ 53

Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind _______________ 55

Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked _________________________________________________________ 56

Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen ________________________________ 56

Keystone means 'unlocking' Canadian oil sands ________________________________________________________ 57

The oil boom in one slick infographic __________________________________________________________________ 57

As more oil trains roll through the Northwest, safety concerns increase __________________________________ 61

Ranker co-sponsors bill on oil train transportation _____________________________________________________ 66

Exxon Mobil TV Commercial __________________________________________________________________________ 68

Public safety at heart of need for oil pipelines, says Metro Vancouver Tory MP ___________________________ 69




Guest: Protecting Bristol Bay is the right call for a fragile marine ecosystem _____________________________ 71

LARGEST TAR SANDS PIPELINE INTO US SHUT DOWN AFTER SPILLING NEARLY 60,000 GALLONS

OF OIL ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 73

Coal ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 75

Train derails near North Bend _________________________________________________________________________ 75

Ash spilled in train derailment could harm fish in Banff creek ___________________________________________ 76

Cherry Point coal terminal would harm salmon, Lummi way of life _______________________________________ 79

Hydropower ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 81

Chehalis River dam denounced on environmental, cultural and economic grounds _______________________ 81

Washington State Flood Plain Management ____________________________________________________________ 82

‘C r ph c’ e r hqu ke d u m brew ff .C. c ___________________________________________ 83

Residents below aging B.C. dam warned: in case of major earthquake, get out in 10 minutes or die ________ 87

Watana dam would kill the Susitna as salmon river _____________________________________________________ 90

Major Flood Predicted for Newaukum River; Moderate Flooding Predicted on Others ______________________ 92

Commissioners Tour Flood-Stricken Areas With Sheriff _________________________________________________ 94

L d de H z rd C dered ‘Ex reme’ f r Lew C u _______________________________________________ 95

Solar __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 97

Wild Game Fish Management _____________________________________________________________________ 98

Chinook salmon could be wiped out by 2100, new study claims _________________________________________ 98

Atlantic Salmon Trust warns wild stocks face extinction ________________________________________________ 99

J50: Another reason to conserve wild chinook salmon _________________________________________________ 100

Where have all the salmon gone? ____________________________________________________________________ 101

B.C. government reviews environmental oversight of resource development ____________________________ 103

Situation Assessment for Capitol Lake ________________________________________________________________ 106

Wildlife Artists: _________________________________________________________________________________ 107

Artist Response Team _______________________________________________________________________________ 108

Leanne Hodges: West Coast Wild ____________________________________________________________________ 109

Dan Wallace: Passion for Authenticity ________________________________________________________________ 110

Derek DeYou Ar : “Dre m D ub e 2” (SOLD) ________________________________________________________ 111

Diane Michelin - Fly Fishing Fine Art: "Gentle Release" ________________________________________________ 112

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses __________________________ 113

Riverman Guide Service – since 1969 _________________________________________________________________ 113

Learn to fish: experienced, conservation-minded professional instructors _______________________________ 114

XXL Chrome Chasing ________________________________________________________________________________ 115

Emerald Water Anglers ______________________________________________________________________________ 116

Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours ________________________________________________________________ 117

Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing _________________________________________________ 118

Spirit Bear Coffee Company __________________________________________________________________________ 119

Hidden Paths - Slovenia _____________________________________________________________________________ 120

ProFishGuide: Coastal Fishing at its Best _____________________________________________________________ 121

Silversides Fishing Adventures ______________________________________________________________________ 122

UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS ___________________________________________________________ 123

Rhe Weber’ Ch r erb “S mmer” ________________________________________________________________ 124




Forward

The February 2015 issue of Legacy marks forty consecutive months of our complimentary eMagazine; the no-holds-barred, watchdog journal published by Wild

Game Fish Conservation International. As recreational fishermen, conservation of wild game fish is our passion. Publishing

“Legacy” each month is our self imposed responsibility to help ensure the future of these precious gifts that have been entrusted for safekeeping to our generation We continue to urge our readers to speak out passionately and to demonstrate peacefully for wild game fish and their ecosystems; ecosystems that we are but one

small component of.

Bruce Treichler James E. Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International

LLeeggaaccyy Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI): Established to

advocate for wild game fish, their fragile ecosystems and the cultures and economies that rely on their robust populations.

LEGACY – Journal of Wild Game Fish Conservation: Complimentary, no-

nonsense, monthly publication by conservationists for conservationists

LEGACY, the WGFCI Facebook page and the WGFCI website are utilized

to better equip fellow conservationists, elected officials, business owners and others regarding wild game fish, their contributions to society and the varied and complex issues impacting them and those who rely on their sustainability.

LEGACY exposes impacts to wild game fish while featuring wild game fish

conservation projects, fishing adventures, wildlife art, accommodations, equipment and more. Your photos and articles featuring wild game fish from around planet earth are

welcome for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of LEGACY. E-mail them with

captions and credits to Jim ([email protected]).

Successful wild game fish conservation efforts around planet earth will ensure existence of these precious natural resources and their ecosystems for future

generations to enjoy and appreciate. This is our LEGACY.

http://wgfci.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Game-Fish-Conservation-International/123459167750176

http://wgfci.blogspot.com/

mailto:%[email protected]




Conservationist Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk

Chris Gadsden










Fishing photos and videos

Kim Malcom with a dandy Cabo San Lucas dorado



2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits




Ocean Wise Recommendation Policy

Ocean Wise’s classification system is based on two categories: sustainable (Ocean Wise) or unsustainable (not recommended). Species are regularly updated and/or reclassified based on the latest scientific information.

General Rule of Recommendations

Ocean Wise recommendations are generated from assessments using the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program methodology: Wild Capture Criteria and Aquaculture Criteria. As of January 2012, the Monterey Bay Aquarium revised their criteria to reflect advances in our science and understanding related to the environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture.

All new Ocean Wise recommendations are based on the following:

Wild Capture Fisheries

The wild capture methodology is based on 4 main criteria:

1. Impacts of the fishery on the stock in question

2. Impacts of the fishery on other species

3. Effectiveness of management

4. Impacts on habitat and ecosystem

Overall Score must be ≥ to 2.8 (out of 5)

And there cannot be any critical scores or criterion 3 cannot be < 2.2 or more than one of criteria 1, 2, and 4 be < 2.2

Aquaculture

The aquaculture methodology is based on 8 main criteria:

1. Data

2. Effluent

3. Habitat effects

4. Chemical use

5. Feed

6. Escapes and introduced species

7. Disease, pathogens and parasite interaction

8. Source of stock

Overall score ≥ 5.5 (out of 10)

And no critical scores and not more than 1 criteria scoring < 3.33

http://www.oceanwise.ca/sites/oceanwise.ca/files/u9/Ocean%20Wise%20Recommendation%20Policy%202014.pdf







Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:




Are You Trading Your Omega-3s for PCBs with Your Choice of Salmon?

Watch video HERE

January 3, 2015

The omega-3 levels in farmed salmon seem to have entered a free fall. Today's farmed fillet may

contain as little as half of the omega-3s as it did less than a decade ago, according to the

International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO).1

More than half of the fish Americans eat comes from fish farms, which has increased by more than

400 percent in the last 10 years.2

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/01/03/omega-3-levels-farmed-salmon.aspx

http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/omega-3-levels-over-stated-in-salmon-report-video-5607750

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/01/03/omega-3-levels-farmed-salmon.aspx#_edn1





Not only are omega-3 levels dropping, but salmon farmers have recently been caught overstating the

omega-3 fat levels of their products, as in the news report above. And not by an insignificant

amount—threefold!

The report comes from New Zealand, but if it's happening there, it could easily be occurring in other

places as the aquaculture industry begins to worry about losing health-minded consumers.3

Why Are Omega-3 Levels Dropping in Farmed Fish?

The drop in farmed salmon's omega-3 levels has resulted from changes in what the fish are fed. In

order to keep their omega-3 levels up, farmed fish have traditionally been fed large quantities of small

oily wild fish, such as anchovies, herring, and sardines.

These have now become so overfished that their numbers have dropped precipitously, forcing

salmon farmers to resort to other sources of feed that are low in omega-3 fats and high in omega-6s.

Instead of small wild fish high in omega-3s, farmed salmon are now feasting on byproducts of hog

and poultry processing, soybeans and soybean oil, canola oil, corn and other grains, most of which

are genetically engineered for the animal feed industry.

All of these are loaded with cheap, low quality omega-6 fats and essentially devoid of beneficial

omega-3 fats.

Farmed salmon's drop in omega-3 levels is a similar phenomenon to the poor omega fat profile of

industrialized meats—grain-fed beef and poultry—compared to animals raised on pasture. Fish

farms, even though they're ocean-based, are still confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs),

replete with all of the problems associated with such.

Farmed Salmon Has Almost Five Times the Omega-6 Fat of Wild Salmon

Fish in the wild, especially oily fish such as salmon, are a rich source of omega-3 fats. Those of

particular dietary importance are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Most of the health benefits of omega-3 fats (for your heart, brain, immune system, and other) are

linked to the animal- and fish-based EPA and DHA, not the plant-based ALA (alpha-linoleic acid).

"Omega-3s are not labeled, so consumers can't possibly have any idea how much farmed fish

contain," says Marion Nestle, author and New York University professor of nutrition, food studies,

and public health. Levels can vary from farm to farm, depending on in-house feed recipes and the

time of year salmon are harvested.4

Farmed salmon are much fattier than wild salmon. The economic incentive to speed the growth of

farmed salmon has led to the use of increasingly high-energy diets, which is why farmed grow so big.

High fat itself is not a problem, but what comprises that fat IS the problem. Farmed salmon are much

higher in omega-6 fat—almost five times higher—and the typical American already gets 10 to 20

times too much omega-6 as they need.


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/06/river-of-waste-documentary.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/omega-3.aspx





Given the fact that farmed salmon's omega-3 levels are falling, its fat profile is likely to continue

moving in the wrong direction. The following table, derived from Authority Nutrition,5 shows the

omega-3 and omega-6 profiles of wild versus farmed salmon.

Nutrient

Half

Fillet

Wild

Salmon

Half

Fillet

Farmed

Salmon

Total Fat 13 g 27 g

Omega-

3 Fats 3.4 g 4.2 g

Omega-

6 Fats 341 mg 1944 mg

How Healthy Can Salmon Be When Raised on a Steady Diet of Chicken Feather Sandwiches?

Farmed and Dangerous 6 provides an example of a fish feed label, and the ingredients are very

telling in terms of where these excess omega-6 fats are coming from. Skretting's "Winter Plus 3500″

salmon feed lists the first nine ingredients:

"Poultry Meal, Fish Meal, Poultry Fat, Fish Oil, Whole Wheat, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal,

Feather Meal, Rapeseed Oil"

To this you can add gelatin, swine byproducts and other unsavory protein and fat sources found in

common commercial fish feed.7, 8 This is a far cry from a species-appropriate diet! However, fish

farmers are left with few options.

According to Farmed and Dangerous, it takes 1.5 to eight kilograms of wild fish to produce just one

kilogram of farmed salmon, which is why the aquaculture industry is contributing heavily to the

depletion of wild fish stocks.9

About 85 percent of global fish stocks are severely overexploited, depleted or in various stages of

recovery.10 We are losing species as well as entire ecosystems, and as a result, the overall

ecological integrity of our oceans is at risk.

Fish Farms: CAFOs of the Sea

Environmental Risks of Fish Farms










. 1Transmission

of disease

Just as with land-based CAFOs, high

stocking densities can fuel a disease

outbreak. Vaccines and antibiotics are used

to control infections, through medicated baths

and feed, but those methods of delivery also

increase the chance that antibiotics will pass

into the environment, affecting wildlife and

other organisms. The use of antibiotics in

aquaculture has resulted in a much larger

problem: antibiotic resistance.

2. Sea lice

One of the most significant threats facing wild

salmon populations, a parasite called sea

lice, spread rampantly in fish farms.15 Farm

infestations significantly increase the number

of lice in surrounding waters, infecting wild

fish populations. Sea lice can infect very

young salmon so that fewer make it out to

sea or back to spawn. Combating sea lice

requires the use of toxic pesticides, including

emamectin benzoate (SLICE),16 which

persists in the salmon's tissues and the

environment for weeks to months.

3. Escapes and

interspecies

impacts

The majority of salmon are raised in open

pens and cages along the coast, where the

fish are targeted by predators such as seals

and sea birds, who attempt to get through the

nets. As a result, many salmon flee from their

enclosures. The escape of farmed salmon

into the wild population poses a serious

threat to indigenous wild salmon species,

potentially outcompeting them for habitat and

food, as well as spreading disease.17

4. Salmon

manure

Densely confined salmon produce copious

amounts of waste, laced with antibiotics and

pesticides, and this excrement can build up

under the pens, smothering portions of the

ocean bottom, contaminating the marine

ecosystem and depriving species of

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/02/factory-farms-superbugs.aspx







Most fish farms are aquatic versions of CAFOs, and just like cattle and poultry farms, overcrowding

makes them breeding grounds for disease. Fish kept in constrained environments become "sea

slugs" with health problems similar to humans who don't get enough exercise. The health of farmed

fish is further compromised by feeding them an unnatural diet. Farmed salmon suffer from parasites

and diseases that can pass directly into wild fish populations, threatening their viability. In order to

combat the disease problem, farmed fish are given antibiotics and pesticides (such as endosulfan),

and in the case of salmon, synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals not approved for human

consumption. Fish farms pump uneaten food and massive amounts of excrement, often containing

drugs and pesticides, directly into ocean waters.

Farmed Salmon Is MUCH More Contaminated Than Wild Salmon

Over the course of the last century, thousands of dangerous chemical substances have been poured

into the oceans. Fish bioaccumulate these pollutants, and farmed salmon are more susceptible to the

accumulation of fat-soluble pollutants, such as PCBs. dioxins, and pesticides. Farmed salmon has

much higher concentrations of persistent, bioaccumulative contaminants (polychlorinated biphenyls,

dioxins, and several chlorinated pesticides) than wild salmon.11 Scientists have concluded that:12

"Consumption of farmed salmon at relatively low frequencies results in elevated exposure to dioxins

and dioxin-like compounds with commensurate elevation in estimates of health risk."

In a global assessment of farmed salmon published in the January 2004 issue of Science,13 13

persistent organic pollutants were found. Some of the most dangerous are PCBs, strongly associated

with cancer, reproductive and other health problems. PCB concentrations in farmed salmon were

found to be eight times higher than in wild salmon.

oxygen—like a litter box that never gets

changed. Or, the bulk of the waste may be

carried away from the farm site by ocean

currents, ending up collecting in another

place and causing localized pollution.

5.

Endangerment

of sea life

Seals, sea lions, and birds become trapped

and drown in salmon farm nets.18

6. Algal blooms

Algal blooms are the uncontrolled growth of

one or more species of algae. Hundreds of

thousands of salmon excreting in the

confined area of a farm can cause a localized

level of nutrient loading that may not be

completely absorbed by the surrounding

environment; hence, nutrient loading from

salmon farms may be linked to algal blooms.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/09/farmed-salmon-dangers.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/15/benefits-of-astaxanthin-to-your-health.aspx




http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/13/food-contaminants.aspx





Those contamination levels are deemed safe by the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) but not by the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA). Researchers postulated that if EPA guidelines were applied to

the farmed salmon they tested, recommendations would be to restrict

salmon to no more than once per month.

Six More Reasons to NOT Eat Farmed Salmon

Salmon raised on fish farms are also creating some serious environmental problems, six of which are

summarized below.14

Genetically Engineered Pseudo-Salmon

As if the problems associated with farmed salmon aren't enough, genetically engineered (GE)

salmon may soon be heading to a supermarket near you, if approved by FDA. AquaBounty

Technologies Inc. has genetically engineered Atlantic salmon (known as AquAdvantage® salmon) to

over express a growth-hormone gene, resulting in a fish that grows up to five times faster than

normal. The company has been seeking FDA approval for its pseudo-salmon since 1995, which is

now opposed by two million Americans, including hundreds of organizations, businesses, fishermen

and a large segment of Congress.19

In March 2014, the FDA reported they are still deciding whether or not to approve the GE fish. If they

do, it will be the first GE animal product to reach America's dinner plate.

The environmental risks of such a biological nightmare are tremendous.

In a Purdue University computer model that tracked the effects of

releasing just 60 "Frankenfish" into a population of 60,000, there was a

complete extinction of the normal fish in just 40 fish generations.

In response to these concerns, several major groceries, including Kroger, Whole Foods, Safeway,

Target and Trader Joe's, have committed to not selling GE seafood if it's allowed on the market. And

Governor Jerry Brown just signed California law AB 504, which bans commercial production of any

GE salmon in state waters.20

Clues for Spotting a Farm-Raised Salmon

Unfortunately, salmon and other fish are often mislabeled—and if GE salmon is approved, it won't be

labeled as such. Studies have shown that up to 80 percent of the fish marked as "wild" are actually

farmed. This includes restaurants, where 90 to 95 percent of salmon is farmed, yet often listed on the

menu as "wild."

Given these inaccuracies, how can you tell whether a salmon really is wild or farmed? The flesh of

the salmon will give you a clue. Wild sockeye salmon is bright red, courtesy of its natural astaxanthin

content. Sockeye salmon actually has one of the highest concentrations of natural astaxanthin of any

food. Wild salmon is also very lean, so the fat marks—those white stripes you see in the meat—are

quite thin. If a fish is pale pink with wide fat marks, the salmon is likely farmed.

Avoid Atlantic salmon, as salmon bearing this label are almost always

farmed.


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/08/genetically-engineered-fish.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/08/genetically-engineered-fish.aspx



http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/23/seafood-fraud.aspx




The two designations you want to look for are: "Alaskan salmon" (or wild Alaskan salmon) and

"sockeye salmon." Alaskan sockeye are not allowed to be farmed. Canned salmon labeled "Alaskan

salmon" is a good bet, and if you find sockeye, it too is assured to be wild. My favorite brand is Vital

Choice Wild Seafood and Organics, which offers a nice variety of high-quality salmon products that

test high for omega-3 fats and low for contaminants.

Krill Oil, Another Excellent Source of Omega-3 Fats

Consuming wild Alaskan salmon is an excellent way to boost your omega-3 level, but there is

another option if you're concerned you're not getting enough. You can add a krill oil supplement. Krill

oil is extracted from tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill that live in the pristine waters of

Antarctica. Krill feed on plankton floating near the ocean's surface. The special properties of the EPA

and DHA in krill oil make it 48 times more potent than fish oil.

Krill is highly sustainable because of its enormous biomass, between 170 million to 740 million tons.

We are harvesting only about two percent of the precautionary catch limit of 6.6 million tons, set in

2008. We could increase this harvest 50-fold and still be within safe limits. Unlike fish, krill does not

accumulate heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins and other contaminants because it's at the bottom of the

food chain. Between wild Alaskan salmon, krill oil, and grass pastured meats and dairy, your omega-

3 to omega-6 fat ratio should be much more balanced and appropriate for optimal health.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/15/wild-alaskan-salmon.aspx

http://products.mercola.com/produce/salmon/

http://products.mercola.com/produce/salmon/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/21/krill-oil-radically-better-than-fish-oil.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/21/krill-oil-radically-better-than-fish-oil.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/21/krill-sustainability.aspx




Recommended reading:

“Great Bear Wild”

Watch introduction HERE

For Book Tour schedule please visit: pacificwild.org/site/events/1409757487.html

http://www.pacificwild.org/site/events/1409757487.html




The Salmon




Community Activism, Education, Litigation and Outreach

Global movement to remove salmon feedlots from our oceans

Watch Boycott Video HERE (January 10, 2015)

http://www.farmed-salmon-boycott.com/

http://youtu.be/WDJJK0tFznI




European Union Enacts Strict Food Labelling Laws

Watch video 1 HERE

Watch video 2 HERE

Don Stanford: “Don’t eat cheap and nasty farmed salmon – if the label says farmed, don’t buy it!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVbpN03sHs&feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB3M4x-Xfcw&feature=youtu.be




Alexandra Morton is a wild salmon advocate who launched a complaint with the College of

Veterinarians of B.C. that the organization refused to hear.

Ecojustice goes to court to force veterinary college to investigate fish disease complaint

January 6, 2015

Ecojustice has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court seeking a declaration that the College of

Veterinarians of B.C. “erred in law and jurisdiction” by refusing to investigate a complaint by

Alexandra Morton, an independent researcher who has long opposed salmon farming on the coast.

The suit says that Morton lodged a written complaint with the College on Sept 13, 2013, over

“incorrect information” provided in a confidential memorandum dated Aug. 1, 2007, from Mark

Sheppard to the provincial Minister of Agriculture and Lands.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Ecojustice+goes+court+force+veterinary+college+investigate/10706602/story.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Ecojustice+goes+court+force+veterinary+college+investigate/10706602/story.html




Ecojustice asserts that Sheppard, then an aquatic animal health vet for the province, “advised that

live Atlantic salmon eggs are not imported to B.C. and are not allowed to be imported to B.C.; these

facts are false.”

Sheppard left the province to work for the federal fisheries department and now operates his own

fish-health vet service in Campbell River.

He said Tuesday he would not comment on the substance of the complaint. “I’ve not very interested

in it,” he said. “It’s a nuisance as far as I’m concerned. She (Morton) is just dredging up things from

the past.” The College also declined to comment.

The Sheppard memo, which became public on Aug. 31, 2011, during the Cohen commission into the

decline of Fraser River sockeye, also states that the importation of live fish eggs to Chile is a “high-

risk activity that contributes to development of ISA infection,” the suit says.

The memo also says the most likely source of ISA — infectious salmon anemia — in B.C. is from

migrating wild fish.

Ecojustice states that “millions of live Atlantic salmon have been authorized for import into B.C. since

at least 1985 and that Sheppard knew or should have know that his advice to the minister was

incorrect. During the commission hearings, he “indicated that his advice about the import of live

Atlantic salmon eggs was not accurate.”

ISA is a “serious and devastating fish disease” that has caused “significant mortalities” in Atlantic

salmon in farm operations in Eastern Canada and elsewhere in the world, Ecojustice says.

On about Oct. 30, 2013, the college’s investigation committee dismissed Morton’s complaint that

Sheppard had misled the ministry, saying it lacked jurisdiction to investigate, the suit states. Morton

challenged that decision on Dec. 26, 2013, but the college said on April 29, 2014 that the Cohen

commission had already dealt with the matter.

Ecojustice is seeking an order requiring the college to investigate Morton’s complaint or at least

reconsider its decision.

Last November, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said a two-year investigation found no

evidence of three diseases in wild salmonids on the B.C. coast.

A total of 8,006 samples of trout and salmon species collected in 2012 and 2013 showed no

evidence of ISA. Of that number, 6,734 were also tested for infectious pancreatic necrosis and 1,272

for infectious hematopoietic necrosis. All tests were negative.

In 2011, Simon Fraser University fisheries statistician Rick Routledge had reported that of 48

underweight juvenile Pacific sockeye from Rivers Inlet sent for testing to Atlantic Veterinary College

in Prince Edward Island, two tested positive for ISA, which can be fatal to Atlantic salmon. He had the

fish tested at Morton’s request.

A review of the P.E.I. lab concluded the facility lacked proper quality standards and didn’t thoroughly

investigate conflicting test results. The findings led to the lab being stripped of a prestigious reference

status as a facility recognized internationally to test for ISA.

Morton said she also sent samples to a lab in Norway, which confirmed the presence of ISA




Sacred Salmon Ceremony: Vedder River, British Columbia Photos by Chris Gadsdsen




Protecting our Waterways




Wild Salmon Day at Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6

https://www.facebook.com/simonfraseruniversity




Activists gather to protest Keystone pipeline, tar sands oil extraction

Watch video report HERE

January 13, 2015

FARGO, N.D. -- Fargo and Minneapolis protesters, in tandem with activists across the country, rallied

Tuesday against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Eight of the roughly two dozen protesters standing on the steps of the U.S. Courthouse in Fargo held

up a banner that read "No tar sands pipelines" as drivers passed by, offering their support.

"The whole thing is, this goes back to the issue of climate change," said Fargo resident Dean Hulse,

59, who helped organize the Fargo rally. "We have to draw the line somewhere."

The Keystone XL pipeline -- which would carry difficult-to-refine tar sands oil from northern Alberta to

the Gulf Coast -- has been locked up in bureaucratic limbo for years.

Hulse said the purpose of the protest was to draw attention to the environmental risks posed by the

pipeline -- like oil spills -- and urge President Barack Obama to veto the project if it passes Congress.

"It will not meet the climate test he laid out," Hulse said of the president.

The rally was one of many against the pipeline across the country, including Tuesday in downtown

Minneapolis, where more than two dozen protesters gathered Tuesday in a chilly Government Plaza.

Protesters held signs, sang songs and passed out informational cards to pedestrians near a busy

light rail platform to draw attention to their cause. Protests like this one were also held Monday in

Mankato and Duluth, in addition to those in cities across the United States.

Chuck Prentice, a volunteer organizer with environmentalist group MN350, called for Obama to veto a

bill being sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., calling for the pipeline's approval.

"With a looming KXL vote in the U.S. Senate ... Obama must take urgent action and reject the

pipeline now," Prentice said.

Already-existing pipelines that carry tar sands oil through North Dakota and Minnesota, Enbridge's

Alberta Clipper and Line 3 pipeline, were also a target for protesters in Minneapolis. The Canadian-

based Enbridge lines are in the process of applying for expansion.

"If Obama rejects KXL, he must also reject these KXL clone pipelines in Minnesota," said MN350

Mankato member Katy Wortel in a news release.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27316057/activists-gather-protest-keystone-pipeline-tar-sands-oil




Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings

“S re m ke w d Pacific salmon”

http://wildsalmonwarriorradio.org/

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UUnniivveerrssiittyy''ss aarrttss,, ppuubblliicc aaffffaaiirrss aanndd

iinnddiiee mmuussiicc rraaddiioo ssttaattiioonn!!

CCJJSSFF ssttrriivveess ttoo pprroovviiddee ppooiinnttss ooff vviieeww

tthhaatt aarree rraarreellyy eexxpprreesssseedd iinn mmaaiinnssttrreeaamm

mmeeddiiaa..

http://www.cjsf.ca/pguide/index.php

http://wildsalmonwarriorradio.org/




Wild Salmon Warrior Radio – Recent Archives

December 23: “Merr F hm ”, Updates: Salmon feedlots, Burnaby Mountain,

Ocean-based Farmed salmon boycotts, 2015 wild salmon caravan

December 30: Burnaby Mountain Activism Update

January 6: Burnaby Mountain lawsuit update, SFU Wild Salmon Advocacy

January 13: Discussion with “D rec Affec ed“ f m producer, Sq'ewá:lxw First

Nation salmon carving theft

http://www.cjsf.ca/vanilla_archives/2014_December_23_10_30.mp3




http://www.cjsf.ca/vanilla_archives/2015_January_06_10_30.mp3







Salmon feedlots



2015 – Remove Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Salmon Feedlots: 2014 in Review – Moving Forward in 2015

“There v up!”

Watch video HERE

http://vimeo.com/115882195




British Columbia Pesticide Use Permit: Marine Harvest

http://www.marineharvestcanada.com/pdf/Quatsino%20Paramove%20Permit_January%202015.pdf




Cyr Couturier, president of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (left) and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Vaughn Granter present the province's latest strategy for sustainable development of the aquaculture industry, at Confederation Building in St. John's.

Newfoundland aquaculture plan update a recipe for disaster

January 7, 2015

http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Letter-to-the-editor/2015-01-07/article-3998280/Newfoundland-aquaculture-plan-update-a-recipe-for-disaster/1




Government not listening to the people:

Stable, environmentally friendly, sustainable, food production, jobs —

that is what open net pen aquaculture was sold as to the trusting

Newfoundland public by promoters and “educators” like Cyr Couturier.

There is only one problem with this story. None of it is true. That is

why not a single NGO was sitting with the minister and Mr. Couturier

when they tried to sell us their newly hatched PR campaign as a

“plan.”

The jobs are not stable as we saw when more than 150 workers were unexpectedly laid off for nearly

a year. They had mortgages, kids in school, and stable ongoing financial responsibilities. Meanwhile,

their one-time job creator was busy spending the tens of millions (of dollars) we gave them for

disease compensation in places such as Chile and the U.K., where they bought in excess of $500M

in salmon farms while workers (here) had to beg for make-work program money.

Similarly, we see these companies were not paying required taxes on their/our money as is outlined

in the auditor general’s report. If this is “stability” we don’t want it.

While workers faced a depressing Christmas and entire towns became unstable, the fish rotted in the

pens for months on end. One massive group of fish was condemned and ordered removed by CFIA

(Canadian Food Inspection Agency) for having a deadly contagious salmon virus, but companies left

them for three months in our bays as they festered.

While 15 million salmonids attract a lot of predators, along with the tens of thousands of tonnes of oily

fish pellets thrown into our bays annually, the more than three million salmon left to rot in the pens all

winter served to destabilize the local lobster fishery and pollute the local bays with miles of floating

rancid salmon fat.

The local lobster buyer stopped buying lobster due to their rancid “burnt diesel” smell. A fish

processor quietly bought the lobsters and paid for new buoys and ropes to replace the hundreds of

rancid ones.

Not surprisingly, there was a never-before-seen “bloom” of blue slimy tunicates, which typically

occurs where nutrient explosions happen, near where the rotten salmon were left all winter.

Tunicates can be voracious wild fish larva consumers. I can go on and on about reports from workers

of untold numbers of sharks killed, entire cages being lost and not reported, first-hand reports of

massive and illegal pesticide abuses. But no sensible person thinks it’s “environmentally friendly” to

dump pesticides in our ocean, cram millions of times higher-than-natural densities of salmon in a bay,

etc. It’s like suggesting cigarettes are good for you and cool.




Sustainable? Really? A free lunch does exist? When does taking wild fish from poor fishermen

globally and paying them six to 15 cents a pound (or less) to then grind up these fish that were fit for

human consumption into salmon feed to make fewer fish — when exactly was THAT ever

sustainable?

Nobody believes the touted conversion ratios of wild fish to fake salmon any longer — ratios that only

exist in a lab setting. A for-profit model that makes less food on the planet is sustainable? This

method of fish REDUCTION is all about stealing cheap protein and fish oil from poor areas like Chile

where it is badly needed and reducing it by making salmon for wealthy G8 consumers who are misled

into THINKING (the product) is like wild salmon with a low overall fat content and a high Omega 3 vs

“bad fat” ratio (when, in fact, it is neither). It is nothing like real farming. Maybe that is why it gobbled

up over 95 per cent of all the national disease compensation money available to all Canadian

farmers?

This government has a long history of not enforcing current

regulations concerning open net pen salmonid farms (and of) failing to

do basic management data collection, and failing to protect our

environment. It’s time for a real new plan, not a new PR campaign.

If we want to make fake fish for profit we need to do it with local fish scraps and NOT wild healthy fish

from our already devastated oceans. Moreover it needs to be done in a fake environment away from

the real one governed by the laws of evolution and population ecology. The good news is, with good

governance, it can be done. We may need new players and a new government to make it happen,

but we can make a better fake fish model.




NS Coalition for Aquaculture Reform supports Implementation of Doelle-

Lahey Aquaculture Report in Full

January 8, 2015

http://nsapes.ca/acar-press-release-january-8th-2015

http://nsapes.ca/acar-press-release-january-8th-2015




HALIFAX – Dozens of community groups and organizations from around the province rallied at the

Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax today to show their support for the recently released final report of

the Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia, chaired by Dalhousie Law

Professors Meinhard Doelle and Bill Lahey. But, say these groups, their support is conditional on

government accepting and implementing the entire package as an integrated whole.

“We do not support open-pen salmon feedlots and continue to believe

that it is a fundamentally flawed model” says Wendy Watson Smith

from The Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore.

“Although we are disappointed that the Doelle-Lahey Report does not specifically call for a phase out

of open net pen salmon feedlots, we do recognize that it is a thorough and well done review. The

report attempts to balance environmental concerns with the need to have a strong economy and we

support its immediate implementation.”

“The Doelle-Lahey report validates the legitimate concerns of affected coastal communities and it

confirms the negative environmental impacts of the salmon feedlot industry” says Alex Patterson

from St Mary’s Bay Coastal Alliance. “It prescribes sweeping regulatory reforms, greater

transparency and a need for a much higher level of performance by industry, such as limiting all sites

to staying within toxic levels.”

“We support the implementation of the Doelle-Lahey Report as a comprehensive whole, without

cherry-picking or half-measures” says Gloria Gilbert of Coastal Community Advocates. “Nothing less

than the “regulatory excellence” prescribed in the Ivany Report on Nova Scotia’s economic future will

do this time. It’s government’s opportunity to demonstrate leadership in producing a world class

regulatory system. Failure to do so will simply guarantee further conflict and deadlock”.

The Doelle-Lahey report recommends strong measures to ensure

protection of wild fish and wild fisheries from the proven negative

impacts of open net pen salmon farms as well as a meaningful role for

communities in decision making.

“The Doelle-Lahey Report is not a green light to the salmon feedlot industry” says Lewis Hinks for the

Atlantic Salmon Federation. “Their report makes it clear that they do not support open-net

aquaculture; rather they are keeping the door open for that industry to rise to the new proposed

standards, which will require a much higher level of environmental and social performance. If

implemented, the report states that no new licenses are to be issued until the new system is in place

and that all existing aquaculture operations must meet the new regulatory regime”-------------

The Nova Scotia Chapter of the Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform includes wild salmon

conservationist groups, commercial fisheries groups, tourism operators, environmental organizations,

members of coastal communities and proponents of sustainable aquaculture from across the

province.

http://www.aquaculturereview.ca/




Sea lice pesticides used in salmon industry may be hazardous

Chemicals can harm, or even kill, lobsters, federal scientists find

January 8, 2015

Federal government scientists are raising concerns about the chemicals used to fight sea lice in the

New Brunswick salmon farming industry.

Wayne Moore, director general of regulatory science for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, says two

reports indicate "there are potential [lethal issues] associated with each product."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sea-lice-pesticides-used-in-salmon-industry-may-be-hazardous-1.2894258




Salmosan®, a pesticide currently approved for use in the Bay of Fundy, can be hazardous to lobsters

and other species hundreds of metres from a farm, the research conducted at the St. Andrews

Biological Station showed.

Meanwhile, Alphamax®, which was temporarily used during a sea-lice infestation five years ago,

could kill lobsters up to 10 km away, the studies found.

Sea lice are a parasitic crustacean that feed on

the flesh of farmed salmon until the salmon die

or the sea lice are removed. They have

plagued the New Brunswick salmon farming

industry for years.

Boris Worm, a Dalhousie University

oceanographer, says the pesticide research is

long overdue.

"It shows that sometimes things are approved without the proper

investigation of what the effects are on the surrounding ecosystem,"

he said.

And while 2014 was a healthy Bay of Fundy lobster season, Worm contends the real consequences

are still unknown.

“What we might want to be concerned about are the sub-lethal effects that accumulate over time," he

said.

The federal government is no longer conducting research on the sea lice pesticides, but will fund

short-term external research projects.

Some environmentalists worry regulators won't have enough information about which chemicals to

approve in the future.

In 2013, Kelly Cove Salmon pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with the deaths of hundreds

of lobsters in the Bay of Fundy from an illegal pesticide in 2010.

Cypermethrin is used in aquaculture in other areas, such as the United States, to fight sea lice, but is

not authorized for use in Canadian waters.

The company, a division of Cooke Aquaculture, was ordered to pay $500,000 — the largest penalty

ever imposed in New Brunswick for environmental violations under the federal Fisheries Act, an

Environment Canada official had said.

For several years, the aquaculture industry in southwest New Brunswick used an in-feed additive

commonly known as 'Slice' to control sea lice infestations in farmed fish, according to court

documents related to the case.

However, sea lice appeared to develop a resistance to the product and its efficacy decreased over

time.

By the fall of 2009, there were "severe" sea lice infestations in the southwest Bay of Fundy salmon

farms, the documents stated.

Editorial Comment:

Sea lice occur naturally on wild salmon – these

parasites die when salmon return to their natal

streams. Their populations “explode” while their

resistance to chemical treatments evolves in

ocean-based salmon feedlots.




3 FACTS ABOUT FARMED SALMON THAT WILL SHOCK YOU

December 23, 2014

When you shop for salmon, or any seafood for that matter, do you consider the environmental impact

that purchase has? Certain wild commercial fisheries are sustainably managed to protect against

overfishing, habitat damaging fishing methods, and pollution. Of course, alternatively, certain

fisheries are not managed at all and contribute to population decline of many species.

You may assume that farmed fish would take pressure off of the wild fish. Unfortunately, the vast

majority of farmed salmon are raised in at-sea pens. Something that might surprise you is that

farming carnivorous fish (such as salmon and trout) at sea:

1. Creates an environment with unheard of levels of many diseases that put wild fish at risk.

http://tidalvisionusa.com/3-facts-about-farmed-salmon-that-will-shock-you/




2. Destroys the environment around the open-sea pens or where the highly concentrated feces

ends up deposited.

3. Is the major cause of decline of some wild species that are used in the feed.

A little background:

The distinctions between wild and farmed salmon start at the moment of conception. Wild salmon are

conceived by nature’s method, in the pristine streams and rivers where salmon have always

spawned throughout history. Farmed salmon are bred in a lab with a limited gene pool, which leads

to disease and mutations. This is just the start of the dramatic differences between the life cycles of

farm raised and wild salmon. Then, one to three years after they hatch, the wild salmon head out to

the open ocean where they will feed on other natural wild fish while traveling vast distances as they

develop into strong, adult, salmon. After one to four years in the ocean they will return to the exact

same stream or river that they were born in to spawn. In comparison, once the farmed salmon hatch,

they are placed in a pen and with 500,00 to a 1,000,000 or more other salmon fry.

They are fed cheap, mass-produced food containing high amounts of toxins, chemical pollutants,

pesticides and antibiotics. The farmed salmon grow into adults while being fed that unappetizing diet

while trapped in pens with an absurdly high concentration of diseases and feces surrounding them.

Being in a pen, they never get away from these toxic conditions at all. Not surprisingly, many salmon

farms are also located in some of the most polluted areas in the world too… You’ll have to guess for

yourself whether the chicken or egg came first in this scenario…

1. Farming salmon creates an environment with unheard of levels of many diseases that put

wild fish at risk.

A big environmental threat that salmon farms create is diseases. The diseases salmon farms cause

spread to a wide range of wild fish species. One of the worst threats that farmed fish pose for wild

salmon is sea lice. Scientists for CARR, a highly respected science committee, did studies and

research that showed that sea lice from salmon farms pose enormous risk to juvenile wild salmon.

Sea lice grow rapidly on salmon farms and manage to spread to waters surrounding the pens. The

worst outcome that the sea lice disease poses for the environment is that the disease attacks baby

wild salmon as they head out to sea.

2. Salmon farms destroys the environment around the open-sea pens or where the highly

concentrated feces ends up deposited:

Since salmon farms are jam-packed with 500,000 or more farmed salmon in such a small area, fish

feces and waste feed causes diseases not only on the ocean bottom but also surrounding waters.

The high densities of the farmed salmon create an ideal breeding area for the sea lice.

The feces and waste compiling leads to non-native bacterial diseases starting to grow and spread

also. These diseases contribute to destroying the natural ocean life under the pens and in the

surrounding areas. The damage is especially evident in areas of shallow waters, or areas that do not

flush well.

http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/page/sealice

http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/page/waste

http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/page/waste




There are more environmental negative impacts caused by fish farming than diseases and bacteria.

Oxygen needed by other species to survive is smothered away near salmon farms by the layer of

feces, waste, and from the competition from the unnaturally high density of farmed salmon. Ocean

currents sometimes help carry away part of the waste and feces from fish farms. This is not helpful

from an environmental stand point either though, as farmedanddangerous.org, a website that

provides facts from various sources about salmon farms, explains: “…The bulk of waste may be

carried away from the farm site by ocean currents (the majority of salmon farms are not even near a

strong current), but this too ends up collecting in another place and causing localized pollution.” It is

estimated that the average salmon farm pollutes the water with waste and feces as much as the

(unprocessed) sewage of a city of 10,000 people would (www.wildpacificsalmon.com).

Clams and rockfish are some of the other species threatened by salmon farms. “Clam beaches… in

the Broughton Archipelago (the area with the highest concentration of salmon farms in British

Columbia, Canada) have been destroyed by the accumulation of black muck and sludge that has

been attributed to salmon farm waste.” The pollution from salmon farms has also been shown to

increase the levels of mercury in rockfish. Those contaminants have also increased parasites,

tumors, and lesions on other ground fish near salmon farms. Chemicals and antibiotics used in

salmon farms in attempt to decrease diseases, parasites, other problems farmed salmon struggle

with, and increase the speed at which the farmed salmon grows. These chemicals damage other

marine life even further. Buying farmed salmon is supporting and industry that causes lots of damage

to nature.

3. Farmed Salmon is the major cause of decline of some wild species that are used in the

feed:

Wild fish species that are made into feed for farmed fish are also in danger, because of the increase

in fish farms around the world. These wild fish are crucial for their local eco-system, but are usually

caught by habitat damaging fish trawls half way around the world from the salmon farms. It takes

over three pounds (with other studies saying as high as 10 due to unconsumed feed sinking) of other

wild fish to produce one pound of harvested farmed salmon (www.puresalmon.org). That three

pounds of feed species does not include the wasted feed that escapes through the pens, and

pollutes the ocean floor with layers of the excess feed that was dumped into the ocean. Many areas

around the world have been over fished for these feed species while trying to keep up with the

demand from salmon farms. Usually the wild salmon feed species from fish farms come from third

world countries where it is easy to manipulate the industry to produce at an unsustainable level. The

farmed salmon industry commonly tries to cover this up by reporting ratios of dried feed to wet

salmon produced.

What you can do:

Did you learn anything new in this article? Do your friends a favor and share it with them.

Make sure you always ask waiters, or fish monger, if the salmon on their menu is farmed or wild

caught, and spread the word of why you prefer wild caught. The one place in the world that is best

known for its sustainably harvested wild salmon is Alaska. Alaska is so concerned about the

sustainability of their ocean’s resources that they have never allowed any salmon farming in the

state.

http://www.puresalmon.org/




Environmental Impacts of Open-Ocean Aquaculture




Cleanliness: Sjøtroll Aquaculture AS Osterfjorden has reported escapees after the storm.

Fin fish on the run in Osterfjorden and Lindas

(translated)

Related story: Notification of escapes in Lindas

January 11, 2015

Suddenly net full of fifty large trout.

- The fjord is completely full of fish. The only possible explanation is

that a fish farm has wrecked by the storm, said Flæsland.

Two plants damaged

Fisheries confirms Sunday evening that there have been escapes from two hatchery:

On Ospenest Lindas a part of the plant to Fyllingsnes Fish have driven away. Cages

contained 65,000 salmon, and it is unclear how many have managed to escape.

In Osterfjorden have storm damaged wood cages belonging Sjøtroll Aquaculture. Cages

contained rainbow, and it is uncertain how many escaped.

http://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/Fin-fisk-pa-rommen-i-Osterfjorden-og-Lindas-3279064.html

http://www.fiskeridir.no/akvakultur/aktuelt/2015/0101/melding-om-roemming-i-lindaas




Want tips

His Haddal, senior adviser to the Directorate of Fisheries, asking audience notify if they detect

unusual quantities of fish.

- Companies are quick to report the escape, but there may be events that are not yet

discovered. Therefore it is very useful for us to know where the fish are observed, so that we can find

the source, he said.

Despite the historic storm, believes Haddal that there have been few injuries.

- My impression is that things have largely gone well. I think the situation is very good compared to

earlier, where we saw several escapes by storm, adding Haddal to.

Consequences for the environment

According to the directorate it is too early to say anything about how escapes can affect the

environment and biodiversity.

- First, we must secure an overview of the scope, says Haddal.

Regarding ownership of fishing, it belongs formally farming companies,

although it has escaped.

- But in practice it is very rare that it is possible to send the fish back, says Haddal.




Grieg Seafoods Atlantic Salmon Farm Application: Broughton Archipelago

(British Columbia)

http://www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/viewpost.jsp?PostID=47999

http://www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/viewpost.jsp?PostID=47999




MARINE INSTITUTE CALL FOR STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS ON FISH

FARMS WELCOMED

December 26, 2014

Environmental groups have welcomed the publication of a five year study funded by the European

Commission which has called for technical standards and regular inspections for fish farms to be put

in place.

‘Prevent Escape’, which involved eleven partners from Norway, Greece, Spain, Malta, Scotland and

Ireland, began in 2009. It was led by the Norwegian institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Irish

component was led by Dave Jackson of the Marine Institute.

‘Assessing the causes and developing measures to prevent the escape of fish from sea cage

aquaculture’ revealed that the introduction of standards for fish farm installation in Norway in 2006

halved the number of escapes over the next four years in spite of production increasing by 50%.

Save Bantry Bay and Friends of the Irish Environment have welcomed the Report and called on

Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney to bring in standards and inspections in Ireland.

The Minister recently told the Oireachtas in a written Parliamentary Reply to Clare Daly, TD, that

while he was ‘satisfied that the current inspection regime is satisfactory’, his department was ‘alert to

ongoing technological changes which enhance the security of all structures on licensed sites and in

this regard my Department is currently preparing a draft protocol for the structural design of marine

finfish farms.’

Friends of the Irish Environment have appealed to the High Court for release of a Report examining

the loss of 230,000 farmed salmon in Bantry Bay in February 2014. Minister Coveney refused to

release the Department of Marine’s Engineering Division report claiming it was an ‘internal document’

whose release would ‘not serve public interest’.

Yet a previous report on the escape of 80,000 farmed salmon in Clew Bay in 2010 which was

released included a Department of Marine’s Engineering Division Report which showed the Minister

himself to be at fault for not requiring the necessary inspections of the equipment which failed,

stating:

‘if a more rigorous/frequent mooring inspections programme had been in place it is possible – even

likely – there would have been earlier detection which would therefore have avoided the November

2010 failures.’

https://bantryblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/press-release-26-dec-2014-marine-institute-call-for-standards-and-inspections-on-fish-farms/

https://bantryblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/press-release-26-dec-2014-marine-institute-call-for-standards-and-inspections-on-fish-farms/




‘While the Department has no capability itself of mounting its own inspections of underwater

equipment it does have a role to play in ensuring that licensing conditions to the effect that licences

shall take all necessary steps to prevent the escape of fish are complied with. We did not to my

knowledge actually check that there was an adequate monitoring system in place at this site.’

A note by an Assistant Secretary on the Report states: ‘This Report clearly points to the fact that

adequate systems in relation to certification, maintenance, inspection, repairs and records need to be

in place for this type of installation’.

The Prevent Escape report concluded:

‘To prevent escapes of juvenile and adult fish as sea cage aquaculture industries develop, the

Prevent Escape Project recommends that policy makers introduce a technical standard for sea-cage

aquaculture equipment, coupled with independent mechanisms to enforce the standard.’




Editorial: Wild fish still best choice, but farming is getting better

December 22, 2014

There are still good reasons to favor non-farmed salmon, but the science of growing fish is

improving Serving farmed salmon to dinner guests of restaurant patrons invites rebellion, or at least discontented whispers. We are salmon snobs, and proud of it.

One reason for this has been the poor reputation of farmed fish in general, and farmed salmon in

particular. But the influential “Ask Well” column in The New York Times last week struck a different

tone about farmed fish — even farmed salmon.

Large corporations are one driver of improvements, with well-respected retailers like Whole Foods

insisting on better quality from fish farms. (On the other hand, Whole Foods also is significant

customer of Astoria’s Bornstein Seafoods, which is featured in one of Whole Foods’ television

commercials. There could be no stronger advocate of wild-caught fish than Bornstein.)

A good deal of the Times’ newly positive attitude toward farmed fish relates to oysters, rainbow trout

and Arctic char, all of which are rich in healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Throughout the U.S., oysters

have tended to be farm-raised for most of the past century, including in Willapa Bay. Industrial-scale

oyster farming is not entirely benign, and a few take the position that it is detrimental to water quality

and ecological balance. But a majority of coastal residents and oyster consumers are firm in their

belief that farmed oysters are about as pure a food as it’s possible to find.

Is it possible to achieve the same top-tier

reputation for other kinds of farmed seafood?

For many in the Pacific Northwest, farmed

salmon immediately brings to mind the Atlantic

salmon operations of British Columbia, with

their occasional outbreaks of disease and

“cattle feedlot” approach to rearing fish as

quick and cheaply as possible. It may be hard

to overcome squeamishness about crowded

conditions, feeding practices and other

matters.

Editorial Comment:

• Ocean-based salmon feedlots have not

improved their practices nor have the

reduced their impacts on ecosystems,

cultures, human health or economies.

• Land-based salmon feedlots offer

potential reductions to some

environmental impacts – still have impacts

to some environmental issues, cultures,

human health and economies.

http://www.chinookobserver.com/20141222/editorial-wild-fish-still-best-choice-but-farming-is-getting-better




But since Oregon and Washington are making

it increasingly difficult for consumers to access

Columbia River salmon, it would be good to

have a viable salmon option in those seasons

when wild Alaska sockeye isn’t available. A

scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund

told the Times that consumers should feel OK

about eating a mix.

“You paint yourself into a corner if you say you don’t want to eat any farmed fish ever,” he said. “It

automatically removes 50 percent of the U.S. seafood supply from your choices.”

As a philosophical matter, almost all of us would prefer to maintain a focus on making certain that

commercial fishing remains healthy and that fish farming never comes to be the only way to obtain

seafood. We should always avail ourselves of wild-caught fish whenever we can. An example of one

underutilized fish when it comes to local human consumption is the sardine, which are loaded with

good nutrition but only rarely incorporated into local menus.

Nevertheless, it’s good to know fish-growing operations are getting better.

Editorial Comment:

• Harvest of Columbia River salmon is

being reduced in an effort to conserve and

rebuild their populations.

• Ocean-based salmon feedlots are not,

and never will be, viable substitutes for

wild salmon.




It is Time to Advertise!

The response from so many people to advertising has been much greater than I thought! This is the second image in the series in response to the use of pig by-products in farmed salmon feed. Please share this widely and let’s see how far we can go.

I have worked for 25 years to protect wild salmon from salmon farms, publishing science, attending company AGMs, going to court, activism, I was featured on 60 Minutes and I engaged in every government process on this issue. But Canada opened the door to more salmon farms in January and this December vetoed an inquiry recommended by a NAFTA commission into Canada's record on protecting wild salmon from salmon farms.

Meanwhile controversy is boiling over in Norway on the health risks of eating farmed salmon echoed by the premier US business news service Bloomberg.

http://www.gofundme.com/isk8bw

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/saving-the-wild-salmon/

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/guide_to_safe_salmon/

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/why-you-ll-never-want-to-eat-farm-raised-salmon-RDELaRwnSTOgFn_ircrufA.html




I am a biologist, but I can see no amount of science is going to inspire this industry to clean up enough to protect wild salmon. Wild salmon are declining everywhere they are exposed to farmed salmon. There is a better way, but global corporate deadlock prevents anyone from going first to stop salmon farmers from pouring industrial feedlot waste over some of the last great runs of wild salmon left on earth.

The industry exists alone in the world of advertising and it is now time that consumers get a different side of the story. I have a pledge of $60,000 if I can raise the rest to make a high impact advertising purchase to run a series of ads.

Aquaculture can mature into a viable, industry that could actually make food, but this will only happen if the consumer demands it. Please consider a donation, no matter how small, and tell your friends, do not eat farmed salmon.

Wild salmon feed the trees that make the oxygen we breathe our planet needs them.

The power of one is all we have, but we ALL have it. If we want wild salmon it is up to us.

EU gives 'untimely' OK to pork,

poultry in fish feed

The European Commission has

reapproved the use of

reconstituted animal protein for

use in fish feed from June 2013,

in a move declared "untimely"

by French deputy minister for

food Guillaume Garot.

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0060033

http://www.gofundme.com/isk8bw

http://www.euractiv.com/cap/eu-clears-pork-poultry-use-fish-news-517855

http://www.euractiv.com/cap/eu-clears-pork-poultry-use-fish-news-517855




Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind




Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked

Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen

Watch video HERE






Supporters cheer President Barack Obama's pledge to veto a Keystone XL bill from Congress on Jan. 10, 2015, outside the White House.

Keystone means 'unlocking' Canadian oil sands

January 11, 2015

The proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States is the first big political

battle of 2015.

The House passed a bill Friday approving construction of the oil pipeline in spite of a veto threat from

President Barack Obama, who has said he is waiting on input from the State Department before

making a decision on the pipeline.

On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked an opponent of the project, Sen. Chris Coons, D-

Del., what Keystone XL means for energy and the environment.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jan/11/chris-coons/chris-coons-keystone-means-unlocking-canadian-oil-/

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/jan/09/3-key-keystone-xl-questions-answered/

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/229039-house-passes-bill-to-approve-keystone-pipeline




Coons responded, "Keystone means unlocking the Canadian tar sands, some of the dirtiest sources

of energy on the planet, and allowing those tar sands to go across our American midwest and then

reach the international market."

We’ve looked into where Canada would export oil carried through Keystone XL, as well as the

pipeline’s effect on the environment. But what about Coons’ claim that Keystone XL would mean

"unlocking" western Canada’s tar sands? Does the pipeline make a difference between pumping, or

not pumping, crude oil from the tar sands?

The short story is the impact seems relatively

small. Oil drilling companies in Western

Canada have been extracting oil from its sands

and transporting them to the United States for

production for years, and that practice is

expected to continue regardless of Keystone

XL. But given the right circumstances, the

absence of the Keystone XL pipeline could

prevent the region from producing at full

capacity.

A Coons spokesman said "he might have been better served saying ‘further unlocked’ than simply

‘unlocked.’ "

The basics

The 875-mile Keystone XL pipeline, operated

by TransCanada, would carry heavy crude oil

mixture from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City,

Neb. Then it would connect with an existing

southern leg that opened in early 2014,

delivering more than 800,000 barrels of crude

oil sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

The oil would come from the tar sands of Canada’s boreal forests. Extracting this type of dirty, thick

crude oil is expensive, energy intensive and produces a significant amount of carbon emissions.

Critics say that Keystone XL will elevate greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change

by encouraging expansion of tar sands development.

However, an oft-cited U.S. State

Department report about Keystone XL says the

project is "unlikely to significantly impact the

rate of extraction in the oil sands."

This is because Canadian officials and oil producers vow that the oil will be extracted and reach the

American marketplace by other means regardless of the proposed pipeline.

Already, trains and several existing pipelines carry Western Canadian crude oil into the United States

at an increasing rate -- almost 2 million barrels per day produced in 2013, with the United States

importing about half of that.

Editorial Comment:

The Keystone XL pipeline would

transport dangerous diluted bitumen

(dilbit) from Alberta’s Tar Sand fields

across America’s midwest for foreign

consumption.

We must transition away from reliance

on fossil fuels and their health and

environmental risks..

Editorial Comment:

Dilbit is highly corrosive, flammable and

sinks when spilled in water.

Many North American pipelines (some

under water) are failing due to age (fifty

years and older) and corrosion.

Editorial Comment:

Corporate arrogance and bullying enabled by

consumer empathy.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/nov/20/barack-obama/obama-says-keystone-xl-exporting-oil-experts-disag/

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/feb/13/ralph-reed/ralph-reed-says-alternatives-keystone-pipeline-are/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/oil-to-begin-flowing-in-southern-leg-of-keystone-pipeline/2014/01/21/ffe35abc-82bb-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/oil-to-begin-flowing-in-southern-leg-of-keystone-pipeline/2014/01/21/ffe35abc-82bb-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html

http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/221135.pdf

http://www.ceri.ca/images/stories/2014-07-17_CERI_Study_141_Oil_Sands_Supply_Cost_Update_2014-2048.pdf

http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=mcrimusca1&f=a




"Keystone XL would only provide a more direct

and somewhat less costly method of

transporting Canadian heavy crude to the U.S.

Gulf Coast for refining and exporting," said

Anastasia Shcherbakova, a University of Texas

Dallas clinical assistant professor in energy

economics and energy finance.

At most, Keystone XL would allow an increase in oil sands production of about 25 percent from

today's levels, said Andrew Leach, a professor of energy policy at the University of Alberta School of

Business. He said that tar sands will come out as long as there is someone willing to pay for the oil,

and "that demand doesn’t go away if there’s no pipeline from Canada."

There are several other pipelines under consideration that could carry tar sands oil to the United

States. If they are built, Keystone XL on its own wouldn’t have much impact because the oil will get to

the United States by other cost-effective means, said James Coleman, a law and business professor

at Calgary University.

On the other hand, if Keystone XL and the other pipelines aren’t constructed, oil companies could

take a sizeable hit to their profit -- about $8 a barrel -- because they would have to transport the oil by

rail and other means, which are more expensive, according to the State Department report.

But the absence of Keystone XL on its own wouldn’t be enough to

induce these added costs.

Coons spokesman Ian Koski pointed to a report from the Canadian Association of Petroleum

Producers that shows projected growth to about 8 million barrels per day by 2030 (including U.S.-

produced oil that travels on the Canadian pipelines) after adding the several pipelines under

consideration, including Keystone. But if those pipelines aren’t included, growth appears stuck at

around 5 million barrels per day.

Without Keystone XL and the other pipelines, the tar sands could not

be fully extracted because the oil would "have nowhere to go," he

said.

Koski pointed to a couple examples of Canadian oil sands mines that were put on hold due to, in

part, rising industry and transportation costs: the Joslyn Mine and the Statoil Corner project.

"Costs for labor and materials have continued to rise in recent years and are working against the

economics of new projects," Statoil said in a statement. "Market access issues also play a role --

including limited pipeline access, which weighs on prices for Alberta oil, squeezing margins and

making it difficult for sustainable financial returns."

Regardless, experts and the State Department don’t think that Keystone XL will have a major impact

one way or another on whether oil companies will continue to exploit the tar sands. However, there is

a catch:

Low oil prices could potentially curtail production.

Editorial Comment:

Less costly to whom?

Certainly not to American taxpayers who

will need to pay for expected hazardous

material spills and environmental

impacts.

http://www.capp.ca/getdoc.aspx?DocId=253034&DT=PDF

http://www.capp.ca/getdoc.aspx?DocId=253034&DT=PDF

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/joslyn/article18914681/

http://www.statoil.com/en/NewsAndMedia/News/2014/Pages/25Sept_CornerPostponement.aspx




Cost of oil

Oil prices have dropped to about $50 per barrel -- the lowest prices since 2009, the height of the

recession. For Canadian oil sands to break even on production costs, oil prices need to be around

$70 a barrel.

Without the Keystone XL pipeline, transportation costs are high, which exacerbates the hit to revenue

after low oil prices.

The State Department’s report assumed oil prices staying at around $75 per barrel. It said that if oil

prices fall between $65 and $75 per barrel, then the cost of transporting oil without the Keystone XL

pipeline might make a difference as to whether or not Canada continues to produce tar sands oil at

current rates.

But under $65 per barrel -- where prices are now -- it’s more the sheer low price of oil that would

negatively impact oil production rather than any pipeline in particular.

"You still need pipes, but Keystone XL or any other individual line in and of itself is not as crucial to

likely growth plans," Leach said.

Additionally, the price of oil is volatile, and many experts think it will go back up again, so a long-term

impact on tar sands production due to low oil prices is not likely.

"Under State's analysis, blocking Keystone XL will only have an effect on oil sands production if all

the other pipelines are blocked, and oil prices stay below $75 per barrel," Coleman said. "How likely

is that? I'd say it's unlikely, but no one really knows."

Our ruling

Coons said building "Keystone means unlocking the Canadian tar sands."

Oil production has been steadily growing in the Canadian tar sands without the Keystone XL pipeline.

Most experts expect that trend to continue despite current low oil prices.

Coons would have been on safer ground if he said Keystone XL would unlock Canada’s ability to

further increase its production capacity. The pipeline would offer much lower transportation costs

than current transportation methods, which would encourage greater oil production.

But his literal words weren’t accurate. We rate his claim Mostly False.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/09/us-markets-oil-idUSKBN0KI08D20150109

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-02/oil-drop-not-significantly-affecting-alberta-regulator.html




A long train of oil cars, marked with the 1267 stickers indicating highly flammable oil, cross 1st street, southbound, in Marysville earlier this month.

As more oil trains roll through the Northwest, safety concerns increase

http://thedailyworld.com/news/local/more-oil-trains-roll-through-northwest-safety-concerns-increase#sthash.Nfhmcr4j.dpuf




EVERETT — The parade of flat-black tank cars began arriving here less than two years ago.

Now the crude oil trains are a familiar sight — and a source of anxiety for many people along the route.

Every week, up to a dozen such trains skirt Puget Sound, each hauling

more than 1 million gallons of Bakken crude from North Dakota and

Montana. They pass erosion-prone coastal bluffs, then travel through

the downtowns of Edmonds, Mukilteo, Everett, Marysville and

Stanwood. They take the highly flammable fuel from fields in North

Dakota to refineries in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

“All of us use it every day, even if you don’t know it,” U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen told a roomful of people at a Stanwood rail-safety forum last month. “How do you move this stuff through our communities safely?”

The rhetorical question summed up a debate over crude-oil transportation that’s raged all year — and promises to result in regulatory changes soon at the state and federal level. That includes a 500-page study (Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study) that could guide action by the Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee when it reaches them next year.

Some changes recommended for the Port of Grays Harbor include the Coast Guard establishing a long-term waterways management plan for increased vessel traffic and appropriate vessel traffic service and, while it wasn’t listed as a key recommendation, the legislature is discussing a tug escort through the Harbor, a direct result of public comments received for the 500-page study.

Railroads have carried potentially dangerous cargoes through Washington since tracks were laid in the late 19th century. These days, that means propane fuel as well as chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia.

What makes the recent oil boom different is volume. You can see it in the trains of 100 tank cars or more marked with red-and-white placards bearing the number 1267 — the hazmat code for petroleum crude oil. That’s about 3 million gallons per trainload.

“We think the likelihood of a derailment and fire in our town is high and

we’d like to see more preparation for dealing with that, to the point

where people are instructed on evacuation and perhaps practice an

evacuation,” said Dean Smith, of Everett, who started the Snohomish

County Train Watch group.

Smith believes that should apply to people living within a quarter mile of rail lines.

More oil cars coming

BNSF Railway reports carrying 19 loaded oil trains through the state every week. That includes eight to 12 through Snohomish County.

Editorial Comment:

Crude oil is not safe to extract, transport or

burn. It’s time to transition to clean energy.




By 2020, the state estimates that 137 loaded oil trains could pass

through the state weekly if new refineries and terminals are built on

north Puget Sound, at Grays Harbor and on the Columbia River. That’s

a sevenfold increase from current levels.

As recently as 2011, trains weren’t bringing any crude here at all.

Washington still receives most of its oil by sea or through pipelines, but the share moved by rail has gone up steadily, the state says. Trains hauled 8.4 percent of the total last year.

BNSF maintains that the oil trains are a small part of the overall increase in freight volume already causing traffic headaches in local towns. Agricultural products and containers are the biggest factors.

“Take out oil and coal trains and traffic is still going up,” Larsen said.

The oil-train numbers have only started to come into focus during the second half of this year, following a federal directive that forced rail companies to report crude-oil shipments. The pace of change has left federal and state lawmakers scrambling to enact changes to safeguard against spills and explosions.

A state Department of Ecology draft report released Dec. 1 outlines steps to lower the risks of moving oil by rail.

The Legislature authorized the study last year and Inslee later issued a directive to get recommendations out sooner. A final report is due by March 1.

The current draft includes 43 recommendations, starting with better funding Washington’s program for preventing and responding to oil spills. Another suggestion would add eight rail inspectors at the state’s Utilities and Transportation Commission through a change in railroad regulatory fees that would generate an extra $2.5 million per year.

Other parts of the report focus on strengthening local hazmat and spill response. A state survey of local fire departments found that 59 percent believed they were inadequately trained and equipped to handle a train derailment that results in a fire.

The prospect of derailments makes oil trains a much greater potential threat to human health and safety than coal trains, which also have attracted significant attention.

“Bakken crude oil has potential volatility, putting public safety at risk,” the state report says. “These hazards came to light in a tragic rail incident in Quebec (in July 2013) when 47 people lost their lives as an oil train derailed and burned.”

The report also contemplates the potential for oil spills to kill birds

and marine life and to spoil beaches and groundwater.

“Almost 2,500 miles of major rivers in Washington run within 1,000 feet

of a rail line,” the study says.

A separate report by the Puget Sound Regional Council last summer

counted 10 large crude-by-rail oil spills in the U.S. and Canada since

March 2013.




Widespread concern

Public hearings in Olympia and Spokane this fall attracted more than 1,000 people who wanted to weigh in on the state’s draft report. Among them: firefighters, longshoremen, tribal leaders, shellfish industry workers, crabbers and marine pilots.

“The diverse set of stakeholders who attended was astounding,” said Rein Attemann, an advocacy manager for the nonprofit Washington Environmental Council in Seattle. “It was a clear indication that the public has woken up.”

The Environmental Council is urging that the state not open any new oil-by-rail terminals. It calls the state report “a good starting point” but says it falls short.

“If an accident happens, it will be catastrophic for the water quality and the economies that depend on that environment,” Attemann said. “We really hope that this study provides the basis for some legislation.”

The group wants to see more-detailed studies of the effect of crude-by-rail transportation on the economy and public health. They also want to know how it might contribute to climate change. They want to see the state take a good look at rail infrastructure through 100-year flood plains and landslide zones.

The comment letter also raises the issue of loaded oil trains traveling over Stevens Pass. For now, only empty tank cars travel that route eastbound, while trains with oil follow a route along the Columbia River into Western Washington.

BNSF Railway, which hauls most of the oil in Washington, is reviewing the state’s report, spokeswoman Courtney Wallace said. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the state of Washington and the nation in making rail safety a priority,” Wallace said.

Larsen’s congressional district includes the BNSF lines from Everett north and four oil refineries.

He often points out that federal law requires the railroad to carry all cargo — so it isn’t an option to stop carrying commodities such as oil or coal, just because communities along the way disagree.

“I think pursuing tougher standards is the route we should go,” Larsen said.

Phasing out old cars

One effort at the federal level has focused on phasing out older tank cars, known by the name DOT-111. The same type of car was involved in the deadly Quebec explosion.

At least 80 percent of the tank cars used in Washington are newer, safer models, the state estimates.

Sen. Patty Murray announced last week that she has helped push for a Jan. 15 deadline for the federal Department of Transportation to issue a final rule for new tank car design standards.

Editorial Comment:

DOT-111 tank cars are not safe for

Bakken formation oil or Alberta’s Tar

Sands dilbit (diluted bitumen)

Updated tank cars are not considered

safe for the transportation of crude oil

DOT-111 tank cars and their upgrades

must be removed from North America’s

rail infrastructure

North America and other industrialized

nations must transition away from fossil

fuels




The state draft report recommends phasing out the DOT-111 cars within two years.

BNSF, on its own initiative, is working to add 5,000 newer tank cars to replace DOT-111 models, Wallace said. The company touts investing $235 million in safety infrastructure this year.

“If we didn’t have trains, we’d have a lot more trucks,” Wallace said. “Just something to think about.”




A 110-car-long oil train makes its way over the Swinomish Channel railroad bridge towards March's Point in Anacortes.

Ranker co-sponsors bill on oil train transportation

January 15, 2015

In the first week of the 2015 legislative session, state Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, has

teamed up with Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Kitsap County, to introduce Gov. Jay Inslee’s requested oil

transportation legislation.

http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/ranker-co-sponsors-bill-on-oil-train-transportation/article_4f830f3a-9d15-11e4-ac78-0faa33d1ec82.html




The measure, Senate Bill 5087, would shift some of the burden of spill prevention and response onto

the rail and oil industries.

How to address increasing oil transportation has been an ongoing debate in Washington and across

North America in recent years.

Roughly 60 million gallons of volatile crude oil passes through

Washington every week, and more than a million gallons of crude oil

was spilled from trains in North America in 2013, more than the

previous 30 years combined. Numerous explosions have also occurred,

including the explosion in Quebec that killed 47 people.

It’s not a question of if spills will happen, but when, Rolfes said.

Only the federal government has the authority to impose many safety measures, but states do have

control over some key aspects related to transparency, accountability and taxation.

“For the safety and health of our communities, it’s imperative we give first responders all the

information they need to best prepare themselves to respond and contain a spill or derailment to

prevent a worst-case scenario,” Ranker said. “We will not sit idly by and let a city in Washington join

the list of those devastated by an oil train fire or vessel spill.”

SB 5087 has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

This comes on the heels of Wednesday’s Department of Transportation announcement that the

agency would miss the Jan. 15 deadline set by Congress on new oil train safety standards and would

instead issue final rules by May 12.

A message seeking reaction from BNSF Railway on the legislation was not immediately returned

Thursday.




Exxon Mobil TV Commercial

“You don’t need to

think about the

energy that makes

our lives possible

because we do…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmD8B64vSM8




Public safety at heart of need for oil pipelines, says Metro Vancouver Tory MP

Industry Minister James Moore says oil shipments by rail through the Lower Mainland

have soared

January 1, 2015

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s

B.C. lieutenant said he’s confident a new

oilsands pipeline will eventually be built to the

West Coast, and one of his key arguments for

such a megaproject is public safety in the

Lower Mainland.

Industry Minister James Moore raised the spectre of the deadly Lac Megantic rail disaster that killed

dozens in an inferno of blazing oil that engulfed the Quebec town in the summer of 2013.

“The people of Lac Megantic wished they had pipelines instead of rail,” said Moore, who represents

the Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam riding.

He pointed to the huge rail yard that is in the heart of Port Coquitlam and is the second-largest

employer in his riding. He said an increasing number of trains are arriving there carrying diluted

bitumen crude that has no other way to get to foreign markets.

“It’s very dangerous for the Lower Mainland ... to have the massive

spike in rail transfer of dangerous goods,” he said.

“The people of Port Coquitlam and Burnaby and New Westminster, with dangerous goods going on

those rail lines, should be concerned about that.”

The shipment of crude oil and diluted bitumen to West Coast ports, including Prince Rupert, has

soared from just 2,133 metric tonnes, or 15,635 barrels, in 2011 to 262,613 tonnes, or just over 1.9

million barrels, in 2013, according to Transport Canada.

He said the federal and B.C. government push to improve Asia-Pacific gateway infrastructure,

through improvement to ports and transportation arteries in the Lower Mainland and Prince Rupert, is

hurt because the lack of pipelines puts pressure on rail systems.

“We’re clogging up our rail arteries with dangerous materials. That’s something to be concerned

about,” he said, noting complaints last year from farmers who said there was a shortage of capacity

to get grain to West Coast ports.

Editorial Comment:

The sustainable solution is not rail vs pipelines

– we must transition away from reliance on

fossil fuels to safely meet our energy needs.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Public+safety+heart+need+pipelines+says+Metro+Vancouver+Tory/10695178/story.html#ixzz3Nhp5uM00




The U.S. State Department, in a report earlier this year on the Keystone XL pipeline project from

Canada to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, said if that project doesn’t go ahead, the resulting increase in

rail transport of oil will lead to 49 additional injuries and six additional deaths in the U.S. related to rail

accidents.

Greenpeace Canada spokesman Keith Stewart said that while pipelines tend to leak a larger volume

of product into the environment, the rail transportation option does indeed lead to greater public

safety risks because rail yards are located closer to dense populations.

“I would stress, though, that both can be much safer than they are now,” he said in an email

exchange. “And it is government’s job to both require companies to make the short-term investments

in safety that are required, and to develop a transition plan to move to cleaner energy in the longer

term.”

If Moore is concerned about rail safety his government “could act on that tomorrow.”

A spokeswoman for Transport Canada said the government has already taken a number of

measures to deal with rail safety since the Lac Megantic tragedy, including new rules to ensure

unattended trains are fully secured.

Moore was asked whether he’s optimistic one of the two proposed pipeline megaprojects, Enbridge’s

to Kitimat and Kinder Morgan’s to Burnaby, will go ahead.

“I’m confident. When? I don’t know, because the dynamics are so challenging.”

He cited the legal challenges facing Enbridge due to objections from First Nations along the route,

while Kinder Morgan still has to get through a review by the National Energy Board.

But he said the plunging price of oil in global markets highlights the need for Canada to diversify its

customer base away from the U.S., since some studies have indicated that a wider market will

increase the price Canada fetches for its oil.

Moore also levelled a blistering attack on opposition parties, saying the NDP is “against everything”

while Justin Trudeau is taking a “flighty” approach to pipelines.

The Liberal leader opposed Northern Gateway even before the review process was completed,

favoured Keystone XL to the U.S. Gulf Coast, and has delivered mixed messages — depending, say

his critics, on where he’s delivering the message — on the Kinder Morgan pipeline to Burnaby and

TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline to the Atlantic coast.

“He’s absolutely making it up as he goes along, depending on commodities, polling and the political

environment,” Moore said, pointing to Trudeau’s recent criticism of the Energy East project after

plunging public support for TransCanada’s initiative.

“That’s irresponsible for a (prospective) prime minister,” he said.

“And the consequence of that is far greater than the impact on those specific projects. It’ll send a chill

to the investment community about what kind of flighty ad hoc governance you have from a prime

minister who just picks and chooses processes not based on any clear linear regulatory process that

is binding. It’s crazy.”




Guest: Protecting Bristol Bay is the right call for a fragile marine ecosystem

We need the oil and gas that Alaska provides, but we also need the fish that Bristol Bay and the

Bering Sea provide. Thankfully, President Obama agreed and safeguarded one of the world’s richest

marine ecosystems.

By Keith Colburn

FOR more than three decades, fishermen like me, Alaska Natives, local communities, and the

seafood industry have been asking for decision-makers in our nation’s capitol to permanently protect

Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea from the risks of offshore development. President Obama finally

listened.

On Dec. 16, the Obama administration permanently withdrew the outer continental shelf in Alaska’s

Bristol Bay from offshore development. This means America’s richest marine ecosystem, called the

nation’s “fish basket,” which is roughly the size of Florida, will be permanently protected from oil and

gas exploration.

As a Bering Sea commercial crab fisherman who has made his living in these waters for 30 years, I

commend the president for having the vision to protect the area and the long-standing and abundant

commercial- and subsistence-fisheries economies that already exist there.

These rich waters sustain indigenous subsistence traditions as well as jobs and a way of life for

thousands of Americans. They bring in more than $2.3 billion a year and provide more than 40

percent of America’s wild seafood harvest. These renewable resources are the backbone of a

regional economy that supports a thriving seafood industry, hardworking fishermen and fishing

families like mine. Had the president not acted, vital habitats, nurseries and fishing grounds for

salmon, red king crab, halibut and other species would have been at risk. While fisheries around the

world struggle, commercial fisheries in the southeastern Bering Sea, now more than ever, will

continue to flourish.

At a time when ocean acidification and climate-change impacts are causing uncertainty, it makes little

sense to add a dimension of risk from offshore oil and gas in one of the most dangerous marine

environments on Earth. Even though many oil companies are more dedicated than ever to

implementing a high standard for safety, even with their best efforts, spills happen. Few places on the

planet witness more severe and dramatic weather conditions than Alaska’s Bristol Bay and the

southeast Bering Sea that surrounds it. If you’ve watched me and my crew on the TV show

“Deadliest Catch,” you have had a glimpse at how big waves can get and how rough the seas are.

We are out there fishing in subfreezing temperatures and high winds, and avoiding sea ice. People

die in these seas. Containment and clean up of a spill would be very challenging in typical conditions

and unequivocally impossible during a Bering Sea storm.

http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2025323423_colburnopedbristolbay27xml.html

http://search.nwsource.com/search?searchtype=cq&sort=date&from=ST&byline=Keith%20Colburn

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/12/obama-rules-out-oil-drilling-in-alaskas-bristol-bay/

http://apps.seattletimes.com/reports/sea-change/2013/sep/11/pacific-ocean-perilous-turn-overview/




The impacts of a spill would be long-lasting and would wreak havoc on important fish habitats. These

waters are much colder than the Gulf of Mexico, and oil sticks around here. Technology that

adequately cleans up a spill in sea ice conditions doesn’t yet exist. Day-to-day operations of offshore

exploration include the use of seismic activity in the exploration phase, the dumping of toxic drilling

wastes into the marine environment, and the disturbance posed by infrastructure and traffic. These

impact life on the sea bed and migratory paths of marine mammals that transit and forage in the

area.

This wasn’t an easy decision. As a businessman, I understand the importance of oil and gas to

operating businesses — after all, the cost of fuel is my largest operating expense. I understand that

there will always be tradeoffs when it comes to where and how to harvest our natural resources. Our

nation and the world needs the oil and gas that Alaska provides, but it also needs the fish we provide.

We must find a balance, and some areas should be protected. Thankfully, President Obama agreed

and safeguarded one of the world’s richest marine ecosystem and the economies it supports.

Thank you, Mr. President, for preserving America’s most productive fisheries from offshore oil and

gas, not just for this fishing season or the next, but once and for all.

Keith Colburn, owner and captain of the fishing vessel the Wizard, has fished commercially in

Alaska’s Bering Sea for 30 years.




LARGEST TAR SANDS PIPELINE INTO US SHUT DOWN AFTER SPILLING

NEARLY 60,000 GALLONS OF OIL

December 19, 2014

Enbridge Inc. reported yesterday that the Line 4 pipeline at the Regina Terminal in Saskatchewan,

Canada had been “shut down and isolated” after it spilled over 13,000 barrels, approximately 56,700

gallons, of oil on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

A spokesman for the company, Graham White, said in an email that the spill “originated at a flange or

valve within the terminal, so there were no problems with the pipeline itself.” White said that could

mean the problem would be “relatively” easy to fix, but had no set time frame for when the pipeline

would resume operations.

Canada’s National Energy Board said yesterday it was “monitoring” Enbridge’s response to the spill.

“The pump station and pipeline was immediately shut in and cleanup operations are underway. The

release is contained within the company’s Regina Terminal pond,” the NEB said in a statement.

The pipeline, which is the largest oil-export pipeline to the US, carries nearly 800,000 barrels a day of

crude oil from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin.

https://ringoffireradio.com/2014/12/largest-tar-sands-pipeline-into-us-shut-down-after-spilling-nearly-60000-gallons-of-oil/

https://ringoffireradio.com/2014/12/largest-tar-sands-pipeline-into-us-shut-down-after-spilling-nearly-60000-gallons-of-oil/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/enbridge-line4-leak-idUSL1N0U218R20141218

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/crude-spill-nationalenergyboard-idUSL3N0U223B20141218




In a statement, Enbridge said:

“There are no impacts to the public, wildlife or waterways. Nearby

residents and business may detect a faint odour. Air monitoring is

being conducted and levels are well within safety limits. Enbridge first

responders with clean-up and response equipment are on-site and

expect the cleanup of free product to be completed [on Thursday] … A

complete investigation into the incident is being conducted. We are

committed to the goal of reaching zero spills and will thoroughly

investigate the incident for lessons learned.”

Enbridge is no stranger to dealing with the effects of oil spills as it was involved in one of the largest

and most expensive inland oils spills in American history.

Earlier this month, Enbridge agreed to pay

a $6.75 million settlement over a July 2010

spill, which resulted in more than 800,000

gallons of Canadian tar sands crude oil spilled

into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan.

Enbridge estimated that, aside from the

settlement, cleanup costs for that spill alone

were about $1.2 billion.

While this week’s spill is nowhere near the size or near as damaging

as previous Enbridge spills, it is a reminder of just how dangerous the

oil industry is. The spill should also serve as a sign that cleaner,

renewable types of energy are needed now more than ever.

Editorial Comment:

Enbridge’s spill of Canadian tar sands diluted

bitumen (dilbit) into Michigan’s Kalamazoo

River, like other spills of this asphalt-like

material, is impossible to totally clean up,

especially when it’s spilled into water.

http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/enbridge-reports-crude-oil-release-at-regina-terminal-tsx-enb-1978021.htm

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/12/11/3602287/enbridge-michigan-oil-spill-settlement/




Coal

Train derails near North Bend

December 26, 2014

http://www.ketv.com/news/train-derails-near-north-bend/30404878




Crews deal with a 15 car train derailment in Banff at the rail bridge over 40 Mile Creek

Ash spilled in train derailment could harm fish in Banff creek

December 30, 2014

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/update-on-banff-derailment




Authorities are concerned about the long-term health of fish in a Banff creek after a freight train

derailed last week, spilling several hundred tonnes of potentially toxic cargo into the water and

surrounding area.

A Parks Canada official said Monday much of the spilled fly ash — a byproduct of coal

production that can disrupt the local ecosystem — has settled to the bottom of 40 Mile Creek.

As water quality returns to normal, the ash is not expected to hurt fish that frequent the area for now,

unless something stirs up the creek bed, said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager with Parks

Canada.

Officials plan to leave the ash in the creek until the ice melts ahead of the spring. But when crews

remove it, they will attempt to avoid mixing the harmful material with the waterway, frequented by four

species of fish.

“We know that much of any sort of sediment going into the water is

not a good thing for fish,” Hunt said.

“We know that in the immediate area, if there were eggs or anything

laying on the bottom, they will be severely impacted (killed). In areas

further downstream, we don’t know yet.”

Fifteen rail cars on a Canadian Pacific train fell off the tracks while crossing a bridge over 40 Mile

Creek early Friday, eight of them falling into the water below with some of them spilling their

contents.

Authorities responding to the crash were concerned that the spill site lies just 200 metres upstream

from the Bow River.

Initial reports indicated that seven cars had fallen into the creek, spilling lentils and fly ash. On

Monday, however, Hunt confirmed eight cars had fallen, one of them loaded with soybeans and the

remaining seven with ash.

A background report on the ash, disclosed by Parks Canada, says it came from a coal-fired plant

in Saskatchewan, and that it may contain trace amounts of arsenic, lead, nickel, mercury and

uranium, among other materials.

“(It) may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment,”

states the report, formally called a Material Safety Data Sheet.

Canadian Pacific declined to disclose the report to the Herald because it contains “customers’

proprietary information.” But spokesman Jeremy Berry said local authorities received it immediately

after the crash.

Hunt said the railway company acted quickly and adequately to control the spill and mitigate any

impact on the environment.

An Alberta conservationist said the spill was concerning, especially because it occurred in such a

sensitive habitat.




“This is really, really unfortunate, especially because it’s in the context of a national park,” said Anne-

Marie Syslak, executive director of the southern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and

Wilderness Society.

Canadian Pacific resumed train service through the affected area early Sunday, but authorities

continued to clean up spilled cargo along the banks of the creek.

Although Canadian Pacific removed most derailed cars and quickly installed a new bridge to continue

moving its cargo across the main line, two cars remained partially submerged in the water.

One of them contains ash, which will be pumped out to avoid adverse effects on humans — it can

cause respiratory problems when airborne — and wildlife.

The other car, loaded with soybeans, has served as a makeshift dam to block spilled cargo from

flowing to the Bow River, the source of Calgary’s drinking water. Crews installed a second dam with

rock and filter fabric farther downstream from the spill site to further protect the river.

“When you have this volume of material that is in a spawning stream that has been the subject of

restoration and it’s within metres of the main stem of the Bow River, this is a crisis,” said Wild

Canada Conservation Alliance director Jim Pissot.

According to Parks Canada, the spill would have initially been toxic for fish because it caused the

creek to become murky, which would have made it difficult for the swimmers to breathe.

Now that the ash has settled to the bottom, and water quality is “approaching very close to normal,”

there are not expected to be major short-term effects.

Parks Canada officials are now trying to determine how they can extract the coal ash from the bottom

of the creek ahead of the spring without further disturbing the ecosystem.

Four species of fish are known to travel through 40 Mile Creek. Westslope cutthroat trout, a species

at risk, is known to frequent the creek’s headwaters, but they don’t often reach the area around the

spill site, Hunt said.

The creek is also home to white sucker, whitefish and bull trout.

“The good news is that the primary fish that’s in that area is bull trout and they are a fall spawner, so

we fully intend to have this dam removed before fall,” Hunt said.

“The bad news is that because they are fall spawners any eggs and

stuff would have been impacted by the spill.”

Officials with Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific are now trying to figure out whether they should

remove the train car that’s serving as a temporary dam. And, in the months ahead, they will plan the

next phase of cleanup.

Authorities have still not identified the size of the landscape they will have to scour for remaining ash,

given that some of it may have surpassed the temporary dams.

Parks Canada has tested water quality downstream of the spill site to understand how far the

material flowed, but the results are not yet available.

“That’ll inform us on how big of a cleanup area we have — is it 40 metres long or 100 metres long or

600 metres long? We don’t know yet,” Hunt said.




Cherry Point coal terminal would harm salmon, Lummi way of life

January 8, 2015

Someone once told me that anything can be accomplished if you just have enough time and money.

But for many people and communities, including Lummi, currency is something far more valuable

than a dollar bill.

Salmon is our most important currency; it’s the lifeblood of our people

and always has been.

Our job is to ensure we have enough salmon spread across time to sustain our people and

Schelangen, our way of life, now and for generations to come. That’s why to protect our treaty fishing

rights is to protect the very future of our people.

The tribe recently asked the U.S. Army Corps to deny a permit for a shipping terminal at Cherry

Point. We’ve been vocal in our opposition to the terminal and our request of the Corps is a natural

next step in the fight to protect our rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855.

In a move that was unusual at the time, our ancestors preserved explicit treaty rights to fish in our

usual and accustomed areas. They had the foresight to protect the most important resource for our

people: salmon. Fishing, teaching our children to fish, eating salmon when we celebrate life and

when we mourn those who have passed — it’s who we are. So we will continue our fight to preserve

the way of life that our ancestors worked so hard to protect.

Our request of the Corps to deny the permit is also a critical move toward protecting our community

from the devastating impacts of an industry where money comes first and a community’s way of life

comes in a very distant second.

The proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point is a harvesting location of incredible cultural and spiritual

significance to our people. A shipping facility poses significant threats to the health of our fish and

shellfish. The increased vessel traffic would interfere with our harvest, and the resulting pollution from

fuel and coal dust would create irreparable harm to our fish and cannot be mitigated. There isn’t a

dollar amount that the coal industry can pay to make up for the damage the terminal would cause to

our people, our waters and our resources. So the Corps, as a federal agency, has an obligation to

uphold Lummi’s protected rights by denying the permit.

The future of our people and our way of life relies on preserving our fish and resources. Because of

our duty to protect our land and people, we are taking a close look at many issues that affect our

region.

We’re lucky here in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy rich natural resources. But when it comes to

environmental protection and our economy, we know that it’s sometimes necessary to find a balance.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2015/01/08/4065288_cherry-point-coal-terminal-would.html?rh=1




In conversations with the Corps on the Whatcom Waterway, we gave our approval for phase 1

cleanup of industrial contamination. It’s in everyone’s interest that this site be restored to the greatest

extent possible. We have also had productive dialogue with Whatcom County on the best path

forward for addressing water pollution from dairy farm run-off. This pollution led to the devastating

closure of our shellfish beds at a crucial harvest time, so finding a lasting solution among partners is

key.

Ultimately, the decisions we make today are intended to successfully

manage our resources and ensure enough to go around for years to

come. The most important responsibility we have is to make the best

decisions to create greater certainty for a sustainable future.




Hydropower

Chehalis River dam denounced on environmental, cultural and economic

grounds

Seattle, Washington (January 12, 2015) – We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI)

have supported and continue to support flood damage mitigation efforts in the Chehalis River basin

These include the following: habitat restoration, raising homes, reducing or eliminating steep slope

logging in the headwaters of the Chehalis, restoring the flood plain, and eliminating development in

the flood plain. We must find cost effective ways to reduce the impact of flooding on those who live,

work and play in the basin. Building the proposed Chehalis River dam will not provide basinwide

flood damage relief.

The construction of the proposed Chehalis River dam near Pe Ell, Washington fails on environmental,

cultural and economic grounds.

The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), with its guaranteed treaty rights, relies on the Chehalis River, its

tributaries and the surrounding land for fish, wildlife and other resources. The QIN adamantly

opposes this proposed dam.

Note: Quinault Tribe has unusual and accustomed fishing areas at Grays Harbor and its watersheds

including the Humptulips River. (U.S. v. State, 459. 1020, 1038 (W.D. Wash. 1975)

The Chehalis Basin Strategy (November 2014), confirms that little if any benefit would be realized by

building a dam to retain 2007-equivalent flood levels versus one to retain water from a typical 100-

year storm. Additionally, a dam built to retain water from a typical 100-year storm would not be a cost

effective, basinwide solution to reducing flood damage. Either scenario would result in a reservoir with

catastrophic and irreversible impacts to salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat above

and below the proposed dam. Moreover, as recent severe storms have demonstrated, a dam on the

headwaters of the Chehalis will not prevent flooding flood damage under most circumstances.

Bruce Treichler, WGFCI co-founder, states, “given questionable study results and lack of adequate

design, construction, operation, maintenance, benefit/cost, hydrology, geology and seismology detail,

it is impossible to determine whether or not this dam would be cost effective. Constructing it would

devastate uniquely valuable natural resources while putting downstream lives, property and

structures in harm’s way for the life of this structure”.

The alternatives submitted and consistently supported by WGFCI to elected and appointed officials to

reduce flood damage throughout the Chehalis River basin are critical to the health and well-being of

those who live there. Continuing to ignore these kinds of common sense approaches will lead to

increased flood damage and loss of human lives.

WGFCI and our associates expect full adherence to and enforcement of state and federal legislation

developed to conserve this wild river basin, its citizens and the many environmental, cultural and

economic benefits it provides freely year in and year out.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E7D12CF6-9C54-4D9C-8325-F64D2A4BCE96/0/Appendix_B_UandA_Court_Orders.pdf

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E7D12CF6-9C54-4D9C-8325-F64D2A4BCE96/0/Appendix_B_UandA_Court_Orders.pdf




Washington State Flood Plain Management

Flooding in Washington State

What is a flood?

Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters - except fire. Most U.S. communities can experience some kind of flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, or winter snow thaws. Floods can be slow or fast-rising but generally develop over a period of days.

Dam failures are potentially the worst flood events. A dam failure is

usually the result of neglect, poor design, or structural damage caused

by a major event such as an earthquake. When a dam fails, a gigantic

quantity of water is suddenly let loose downstream, destroying

anything in its path.

In Washington, the primary mechanisms causing a flood situation are:

Heavy rainfall, which is the primary mechanism for floods in Western Washington, and may or may not include low-elevation snow melt or saturated soil. These events usually happen in the fall and early winter.

Rainfall on snow, which can rapidly melt the snow pack and result in winter and early spring floods. Rapid snowmelt during a hot spell can produce large floods, typically in late spring. These conditions primarily affect flooding in Eastern and Central Washington.

E-mail response from US Army Corps of Engineers:

“Thank you for your email.

Any structure proposed for construction would require a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.

We met with the Chehalis Basin River Flood Authority last November to discuss the potential permitting process and plan to meet with them again.

We have not received an application for a permit.”

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/floods/flooding_wa_state.html

http://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/civilworks/regulatory/engform_4345_2014dec.pdf

http://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/civilworks/regulatory/engform_4345_2014dec.pdf




‘Catastrophic’ earthquake and tsunami brewing off B.C. coast

December 27, 2014

VICTORIA – The pressure has been building for more than 300 years.

A giant slab of rock sliding in from the Pacific is exerting so much pressure on the west coast of North

America it is warping Vancouver Island, tilting it higher and squeezing it a few centimetres eastward

every year.

One day, the strain will be released in an instant and a catastrophic earthquake will rip down the west

coast from British Columbia to northern California. Geologists can’t predict when the mega-thrust

quake will hit, but they say it is inevitable.

Parts of the coast will suddenly sink more than a metre and jump 10 to 15 metres to the west when

the tectonic plates on the 1,130-kilometre Cascadia subduction zone slide past each other.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Catastrophic+earthquake+tsunami+brewing+coast/10682930/story.html




The ground shaking will be so intense older bridges and unreinforced buildings will crack and many

are expected to collapse. Landslides will cut off roads, railways and millions of people could be left —

for days, and in some areas, possibly weeks — without phone, cable, power and water. The coast will

be hammered as a tsunami sends a wall of water racing ashore, that could wash away resorts,

campgrounds, rearrange shipping channels, and sever major undersea cables.

“There would be widespread damage,

including thousands of injuries and fatalities

and the destruction of hundreds of buildings,”

says a recent report from B.C.’s auditor

general that harshly criticized the province for

not being better prepared for the catastrophe

and its aftershocks.

Megaquakes on North America’s west coast

are rare but they occur like clockwork about

every 500 years, say scientists, who have

uncovered evidence of 19 giant Cascadia

quakes in the last 10,000 years.

They can be as big as the Boxing Day quake

that struck off the coast of Sumatra on

December 26, 2004. The quake unzipped a

1,300-kilometre subduction zone under the sea

floor, generating killer waves that took more

than a quarter of a million lives in 14 countries.

The world has learned plenty since the Sumatra disaster, but experts and auditors say Canada still

has a way to go.

“Overall the province (British Columbia) is still at a significant risk if a catastrophic earthquake were to

occur today,” states the damning auditor general’s report released in March.

It said the Emergency Management BC, the provincial agency responsible for leading the response to

catastrophes, has not made it a priority to come up with comprehensive plans to deal with a

catastrophic quake and tsunami and ensure as many people as possible are out of harm’s way.

The auditor found “critical gaps” in areas such as earthquake response plans and procedures,

training exercises and public education programs and oversight of stakeholder readiness and

capacity.

John Clague, a quake expert at Simon Fraser University, agrees B.C. could and should do more.

http://www.bcauditor.com/pubs/2014/report13/catastrophic-earthquake-preparedness

http://o.canada.com/news/world/horrific-tsunami-led-to-global-warning-system




“We should be as well prepared as Japan,” says Clague, noting how Canada is also lagging in key

areas such as mapping areas most threatened by tsunamis and “seismic microzonation” to that can

identify pockets within cities and districts that can be up to five times more prone to shaking,

liquefaction and damage.

Small quakes regularly rattle the west coast, but megathrust quakes are a different beast. Cascadia’s

subduction quakes are huge – magnitude 9 or more. The last one stuck Jan. 26, 1700, creating a

tsunami that destroyed First Nations villages and swept across the Pacific causing damage in Japan.

There is no predicting when the next on will strike. But experts say there is a 12% probability

a Cascadia megathrust earthquake will hit in the next 50 years.

Because the Pacific Northwest coast is not heavily populated, a Cascadia quake and tsunami is not

expected to be as deadly as the Sumatra quake.

But it will be a major disaster. Emergency planners in B.C. and the U.S. estimate the number of

deaths could exceed 10,000 with another 30,000 people injured. Communities on the west coast of

Vancouver Island and the U.S. states will be hit hardest, but aging buildings and infrastructure in

Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland are also at risk of damage and collapse.

The economic impacts are expected to be far-reaching with damage

from a Cascadia quake and tsunami expected to cost Canada up

to $75 billion – almost twice B.C.’s annual provincial budget – and

another $70 billion in the U.S.

The B.C. government responded to the damning auditor’s report saying it is making “catastrophic

earthquake preparedness” a priority, and it is working on a “multi-year roadmap” to enhance

preparedness.

When it comes to reducing the death toll experts say quick thinking and response will be critical,

especially on the west coast of Vancouver Island where the tsunami poses the biggest threat.

“In some places there will be maybe 20 minutes before the wave hits,” says Garry Rogers, a senior

research scientist at the federal Pacific Geoscience Centre outside Victoria, where he and his

colleagues monitor seismic activity and measure the geological forces building offshore.

Coastal communities, fish farms, resorts and logging operations could be devastated by the metres-

high tsunamis that crash ashore and race up inlets.

People will need to know how to get to higher ground and quickly. There will be no time to “collect

your favorite pictures, maybe not even your dog,” says Clague.

Millions of tourists flock to Vancouver Island every year, and visitors at seaside resorts and

campgrounds in Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park will have no time to dither when the quake hits

and the ground starts shaking so hard it will be impossible to stand or walk for several minutes.

http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/histor/15-19th-eme/1700/1700-eng.php

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ic116_csz_scenario_update.pdf.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index.aspx




Rogers suggests tsunami notices and evacuation routes should be posted on the back of hotel-

room doors. “Like the fire escape notice,” he says.

While Canada has done some tsunami modelling Rogers and Clague say more detailed analysis is

needed to figure out where the giant waves could do the most damage – identifying inlets and

channels that could amplify five-metre tsunamis into 15-metre walls of water. And how the waves may

slosh around and create powerful currents between the Gulf Islands as the tsunami funnels around

Vancouver Island.

“There is a very clearly defined set of tsunami problems that need to be solved,” says Rogers.

He points to the proactive work done by the state of Oregon, which has mapped tsunami inundation

zones in detail, enabling communities to better plan evacuation routes, identify and create safe

havens people can run to, and devise ways to reinforce coastal highway bridges to withstand

a tsunami. “The gold standard is what was done in Oregon and that’s what we should aim for,” says

Rogers.

Researchers would also like to get a better read on how the strain is building offshore where the

tectonic plates collide and are now locked.

Evidence left by previous quakes suggests Cascadia tsunamis are between five to 10 metres high –

“probably closer to five metres,” says Rogers. While 5-metre waves can do plenty of damage, they

are a fraction the size of the 40-metre monsters generated by the Tōhoku quake off the coast of

Japan in 2011. Those wave crippled ports, destroyed thousands of homes and buildings and

triggered a nuclear reactor meltdown.

Rogers say it appears “extremely unlikely” Cascadia’s subduction zone could generate such huge

tsunamis. But he says more detailed assessment is needed to rule out the possibility.

GPS stations on land have enabled the scientists to measure the way Vancouver Island is being tilted

and squeezed as the geological strain builds – findings that have led to revisions of the building code

to try ensure new west coast homes and high rises are built to withstand quakes.

The scientists want to place sensors on the seafloor along the Cascadian fault – like the Japanese

have done off their coast – to better estimate tsunami wave heights.

“We know the on-land measurements, but we don’t what is happening under the water,” says Rogers.

“That is the important part for tsunamis.”

Editorial Comment:

Hundreds of existing and planned dams along North America’s west coast will be weakened

when this scenario comes true. Failure of these dams will likely kill thousands, if not millions, of

citizens – all in the name of “cheap” electricity and flood damage control..




A BC Hydro study determined the Jordan River dam had the highest seismic hazard in B.C., and concluded it was not practical to rebuild it.

Residents below aging B.C. dam warned: in case of major earthquake, get out

in 10 minutes or die

December 29, 2014

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/12/29/residents-below-aging-b-c-dam-warned-in-case-of-major-earthquake-get-out-in-10-minutes-or-die/

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/12/29/residents-below-aging-b-c-dam-warned-in-case-of-major-earthquake-get-out-in-10-minutes-or-die/




VANCOUVER — After deciding it would be too expensive to rebuild a 103-year-old dam built in one

of the most collapse-prone areas of Canada, British Columbia’s power utility has settled on a

controversial plan: Bracing for a disastrous flood.

“[I]n a magnitude 9 earthquake, the people down below would have 10 or 15 minutes to get out of

there, or I guess the bottom line is that they would all die,” said Mike Hicks, municipal director for the

area.

Since early December, BC Hydro has been busily transforming the area surrounding its Jordan River

dam into a flood-ready no-man’s-land.

The utility is pushing to stop development in the future “inundation zone” and has successfully

obtained a ban on overnight camping at a popular nearby park. It is also looking to install a warning

siren to alert day-trippers if they are about to be swamped by several million litres of reservoir water.

Most contentious of all, the provincial utility offered to buy up 11 houses and businesses in the tiny

community of Jordan River, a once-thriving resource town that would largely be flattened by a dam

collapse.

Locals are uniformly outraged at the offer, even as they see the value of their homes being wiped out

by the news.

“For just about everybody around here it’s not a money thing; we don’t want to move, fix your dam,”

said Doug Harvey, speaking to local television.

Mr. Hicks noted camping at Jordan River Regional Park was being shut down only four years after

the municipal government spent $9.9-million to buy the land.

“If they’re going to ask us to have no overnight camping, they should buy our park, simple as that,” he

said. “They sterilized Jordan River, and they’re the ones responsible for this.”

News of the looming dam collapse has also scuttled plans to turn the park over to the nearby

Pacheedaht First Nation, who were to build a campground and interpretative centre.

Said Mr. Hicks, “That’s all gone, too, with BC Hydro’s announcement that they’ll all be dead.”

While the utility claims it cannot fix the dam, it has acknowledged there are ways the structure could

be prevented from collapsing in an earthquake.

‘I guess the bottom line is that they would all die’

BC Hydro could simply lower the water in the reservoir, but it said this would cause an electricity

shortfall that could cost as much as $200-million to fix.

The dam could also be decommissioned, but this would also be “highly costly” and would risk

flooding homes with spillover from an unregulated Jordan River.

The utility’s dramatic plans for the area were fuelled by an alarming seismic study released this

month showing the Jordan River dam, built in 1911, sits atop one of the most vulnerable parts of

British Columbia and possibly the country.

When the Big One hits (an event that is statistically due for coastal B.C.), the dam will shake as much

as three times harder than buildings in Downtown Vancouver.




The pressures are virtually guaranteed to rip apart the structure and kick off what has clinically been

called an “uncontrolled release of upstream reservoir water.” As the utility said in a statement, it was

“not aware of any dams in the world” strong enough to straddle the Jordan River without collapsing.

Locals also have the misfortune of living in a tsunami hazard zone.

In any catastrophic earthquake, residents would be swept out to sea by the dam breakage, only to be

pounded a second time by the rising Pacific Ocean.

BC Hydro’s plan for Jordan River is not an entirely scorched-earth proposal: As long as locals can

hustle out of the area within 10 minutes, they are welcome to work or relax in the hazard zone.

“Surfing, hiking or logging activities, for example, should continue as before,” reads a BC Hydro

information page.




Watana dam would kill the Susitna as salmon river

December 27, 2014

After recently reading an Alaska Dispatch News headline with a preposterous claim, “Manager says

increasingly expensive Susitna dam could help salmon,” (Dec. 18) I must protest with due respect.

As a freshwater ecologist who has worked on salmon rivers for 40 years, I want to make it clear:

Without question, a dam the size of Susitna-Watana will kill the Susitna as a salmon river.

The Alaska Energy Authority vastly oversimplifies the impacts of this megadam on Alaska’s fourth-

largest king salmon river by stating that sediment trapped in the reservoir behind the dam would

improve water clarity and food resources for fish. Perhaps the statement is based on dammed Lower

48 rivers, where hydroelectric dams often cool water and reduce sediment discharge, allowing trout

food to proliferate in previously warmer, more turbid rivers where trout were never native. But in the

case of northern rivers like the Susitna, wild salmon are adapted to and depend on ecological

interactions between seasonal flooding, sediment flux, streamside vegetation, cold temperatures, ice

and a suite of other biophysical conditions. Development of the 735-foot-tall Susitna Dam would

completely change -- and in many cases destroy -- these in-stream processes that Susitna salmon

depend upon.

Hydroelectric operations like Susitna-Watana release water according to electricity demand, thereby

eliminating natural river flow and temperature patterns. If built, the Susitna dam will decrease

summer flows by more than half, and winter flows will vary by more than 400 pecent over the course

of just one day. Rather than freezing over downstream of the dam, anchor ice will form under water.

When anchor ice jams, it will scour the river bottom and the floodplain habitats that the juvenile

salmon depend upon. High, clear water flows in winter will degrade the river bottom and disconnect

channel environments essential for salmon spawning and rearing.

Flows regulated by hydropower dams always vastly reduce salmon productivity because they destroy

natural patterns salmon require. Salmon cannot hatch and grow to properly time their out-migration to

sea or their return to natal habitats to spawn. The proposed dam cannot improve conditions but,

conversely, will very negatively impact native Susitna salmon. Moreover, keep in mind that the

reservoir will trap vast quantities of sediments, filling the reservoir basin sooner than later in this

case, shortening the life of hydropower production.

The truth is that Susitna salmon are uniquely adapted to and thrive in a cold, sediment laden river fed

by glaciers. AEA completely misses -- or more likely purposefully ignores -- the essential point that

removing the conditions to which the salmon are adapted has no other outcome than vastly reducing

or eliminating salmon runs.

AEA’s claim that a dam can improve salmon runs simply and blatantly

fails the test of common sense.

http://www.adn.com/article/20141227/watana-dam-would-kill-susitna-salmon-river

http://www.adn.com/article/20141218/manager-says-increasingly-expensive-susitna-dam-could-help-salmon

http://www.adn.com/article/20141218/manager-says-increasingly-expensive-susitna-dam-could-help-salmon




One need look no further than the Lower 48, where salmon are at just 7 percent of their historic

abundance. In the Columbia River alone -- formerly the world’s largest king salmon producer -- more

than half of salmon habitat was eliminated by dam construction. Despite our best efforts and billions

of dollars, we have failed to engineer or mitigate development projects to produce more than a small

fraction of pre-dam salmon numbers. Now 80 percent of the salmon returning to the Columbia basin

are spawned and reared in hatcheries, a process that is not only extremely expensive but is very

harmful to wild salmon. And to add insult to injury, nearly all Columbia River salmon are trapped

during their migration to sea so they can be transported around dams by barge or truck. Due to dams

and other development, remaining Lower 48 salmon depend on factory-like production in aquatic

zoos and "swim" to the ocean in trucks. Do we want that kind of salmon management in Alaska?

Indeed, Alaska remains home to some of the last, best, free-flowing, wild salmon-sustaining rivers in

the world. Wild king salmon are declining all around the Pacific Rim, owing to fishing pressure,

climate warming and changing ocean conditions, among other anthropogenic influences. The point is

simply that we must preserve systems like the Susitna where king salmon still thrive.

Alaska has a reputation for stellar salmon management, and the Susitna is one of the success

stories. So rather than wrongfully claiming that man can improve on nature -- as we’ve

unsuccessfully tried time and again with Lower 48 salmon rivers -- it will cost nothing to just leave the

Susitna alone. Here’s hoping the state’s new leadership can see through the lies purported by AEA

and abandon this project in the name of common sense, if not simply for the preservation of uniquely

adapted wild Alaska salmon.




Major Flood Predicted for Newaukum River; Moderate Flooding Predicted on

Others

January 3, 2015

Flooding is forecast for portions of the Twin Cities and Lewis County as a flood watch for the area

approaches, with four river gages predicting moderate flooding and one projecting a record flood.

Lewis County will go under a flood watch

Sunday night as a deluge bears down on Lewis

County. The National Weather Service has

issued the flood watch, which will go into effect

late Sunday night, as 3 to 7 inches of rain are

forecast to fall in the south Cascades. Snow

levels will rise to the 6,000-foot to 8,000-foot

mark, which will ensure precipitation falling in

the mountain passes will be all rain.

The flood watch states that it is still too early to predict where the heaviest rains could fall, but several

rivers are under the gun as of Sunday morning.

The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service projects a crest of 13.5 feet on the Newaukum River at

Chehalis, matching its record, at about 4 p.m. Monday. That height also corresponds to major flood

stage, which would cause flooding along the river including its forks, tributaries and other streams that

feed it.

If the Newaukum reaches moderate flood stage, many roads and several homes could be inundated.

Affected areas could include state Route 508, Jackson Highway and the following roads: Tune, Rush,

Sommerville, Griel, Hamilton, Tauscher, Guerrier, Kirkland, Macomber, Rice, Senn, Lucas Creek,

Middle Fork, North Fork, Bishop, Shorey, Labree, Gish and Yates.

As of Sunday morning, four other river gages predicted moderate flooding.

The Chehalis River at Centralia is forecast to hit 70.5 feet at 10 a.m. Tuesday, which is well into

moderate flood stage. The National Weather Service says a flood of that magnitude would inundate

Fort Borst Park, some residential and commercial areas and many roads from Chehalis to Centralia.

Flooding could affect the Interstate 5 ramps at state Route 6 and Main Street in Chehalis, and flood

areas around Plummer and Hayes Lakes.

The Cowlitz River at Randle is forecast to crest at 20.95 feet just before 10 p.m. Monday.

Floodwaters will likely inundate farmlands and many roads, including U.S. Highway 12 in Randle.

Moderate flooding is forecast on the Skookumchuck River at Bucoda, which is projected to crest at

15.7 feet Monday evening. Several businesses and homes in Bucoda could be affected, along with

water overflowing many roads.

Moderate flooding is also forecast on the Chehalis River at Grand Mound. The river there is forecast

to crest at 15.7 feet for most of Tuesday. Floodwaters would affect the Independence Valley and

likely cut off access to and from the Chehalis Reservation.

Editorial Comment:

This storm is one example of why the proposed

Chehalis River dam is NOT a basinwide solution

to flood related damage – it would be ineffective,

especially when storms develop anywhere within

the Chehalis River basin other than over the

headwaters of the Chehalis River.

http://www.chronline.com/crime/article_6a2805e0-9372-11e4-8db7-b3696b4aefeb.html

http://www.chronline.com/crime/article_6a2805e0-9372-11e4-8db7-b3696b4aefeb.html




The Skookumchuck River is predicted to hit minor flood stage in Centralia, reaching 85.9 feet at 10

p.m. Monday. The river will likely flood several roads and farmlands in and near Centralia.

Residents in areas near the affected rivers are urged to monitor forecasts through the weekend as

the situation could continue to change.

The Chronicle will also continue to monitor the forecasts and provide updates

on Chronline.com andLewisCountyWatch.com as the situation develops.

http://chronline.com/

http://lewiscountywatch.com/




Commissioners Tour Flood-Stricken Areas With Sheriff

Worst Was Over: County Leaders Get Firsthand Look at Swollen Creeks and Raging River

January 6, 2015

Lewis County is no stranger to flooding, having been hit with several significant inundations over its

history.

Yet each time notable flooding occurs, there seems to be a different

location that takes the brunt of the damage, causing concern not only

for residents and property owners, but also for officials and elected

leaders.

http://www.chronline.com/crime/article_61c9ddbc-95d2-11e4-8a58-8f2d26d37b01.html




A landslide in Pe Ell blocked state Route 6 and destroyed a home owned by Pe Ell Fire Chief Mike Krafczyk in December 2007. It was just one of many slides that occurred that year. Many others have been reported before and since, both on state Route 6 and on U.S. Highway 12. The county is currently one of several considered at "extreme" risk for additional slides.

Landslide Hazard Considered ‘Extreme’ for Lewis County

January 5, 2015

All of Lewis County is under an extreme landslide hazard warning,

according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

“Landslide initiation is expected to be very frequent and widespread,”

the DNR website said.

http://www.chronline.com/crime/article_09ca6826-9527-11e4-9937-f7ca64b688bc.html?mode=story




The majority of coastal and peninsula counties are under extreme warnings as well. The information

can be viewed on the DNR’s “Shallow Landslide Hazard Map for Washington State.”

The map isn’t an official warning, and cannot be used to definitely predict if or when a slide will occur,

officials say.

Landslide risks are determined on passed and predicted rainfall over a 48-hour period.

“The rainfall totals in your area over the last 24 hours are up over three inches almost everywhere,”

said National Weather Service Meteorologist Josh Smith. “The way that all the precipitation was

coming in ... you guys got the brunt of it.”

A major slide closed all four Portion of U.S. Highway 12 at Aberdeen Monday morning.

The DNR partners with the National Weather Service to develop the shallow landslide susceptibility

model. “Shallow” refers to slides that occur around 10-feet below the surface.

To view the landslide map go to https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/landslidewarning/

https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/landslidewarning/




Solar




Wild Game Fish Management

A new study has found that 98 per cent of chinook salmon will be gone by 2100 if climate change warms the water

Chinook salmon could be wiped out by 2100, new study claims

December 22, 2014

New climate-change research involving a University of British Columbia scientist predicts that one of

the West Coast's most prized salmon stocks could be wiped out over the next 85 years.

A study has concluded that there is a five per cent chance of a catastrophic loss of the chinook

salmon by 2075, and a 98 per cent chance the population will suffer catastrophic losses by 2100, if

climate change warms the water.

An international research team looked at the ability by the chinook to adapt to warming water

temperatures caused by climate change.

UBC zoologist Anthony Farrell was part of the research group and says the juvenile salmon studied

developed serious heart problems in water temperatures higher than 24.5 C.

Once past that temperature, the study found that the heart couldn't go any faster and would either

slow or go arrhythmic.

The study was recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/chinook-salmon-could-be-wiped-out-by-2100-new-study-claims-1.2881635




Atlantic Salmon Trust warns wild stocks face extinction

Wild Atlantic salmon are in danger of extinction, the Perth-based expert body that carries

out research into the king of fish has warned.

January 6, 2015

In its annual review of the species, the Atlantic Salmon Trust said some catchment areas of the Dee

and Spey were already suffering.

“Numbers of wild Atlantic salmon at sea have declined by more than 60% between 1970 and 2014,

and are now extinct in more than 300 North Atlantic seaboard river catchments,” said Tony Andrews,

the trust’s chief executive.

“For every wild Atlantic salmon in the sea, there are more than 200 farmed Atlantic salmon in open

net cages, ‘sharing’ the same coastal waters.

“Recent scientific research indicates that impacts of parasites,

pollution and disease from salmon farming on the coastal environment

and wildlife may be far greater than previously assessed.

“Despite international pressure to put an end to mixed stocks drift and coastal netting, and the

continuing decline in killing salmon by anglers, the number of wild salmon killed by human

exploitation in the bio-region remains too high for a species under pressure of extinction.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/atlantic-salmon-trust-warns-wild-stocks-face-extinction-1.770870




J50: Another reason to conserve wild chinook salmon

Good News! It is a Girl!

The new baby killer whale in J pod, called J50 by researchers that designate these whales alpha-

numerically, is alive and well, and with its matrilineal family today in northern Georgia Strait British

Columbia. The new baby was first seen in the San Juan/Gulf Island archipelago on the 30th of

December when it was estimated to be 4-10 days old, and it quickly became the subject of mystery

because it was swimming alongside a female whale that is estimated to be 43 years old – beyond the

age calculated for reproductive senescence in these whales. The 43 year old female, J16, has had

five known prior babies, three of which have survived and still swim by her side. Her sixteen year old

daughter, J36, was not seen nearby on 30 December, and we have for several years hoped that she

would calve soon.

We still do not know which whale, J16 or J36, is the mother of little J50, but we will analyze

photographs and behaviors noted today and in the future to determine the exact status in addition to

the now confirmed female sex of the new baby. Sometimes it takes a few encounters and some time

to sort these things out because these whales are very caring for one another, and baby-sitting is not

unusual, especially with grandmothers. The presumed maternities in our catalogue now spanning

forty years of precise photo-identification have all been verified by genetic studies, so we have to be

careful and not leap to conclusions about exact relationships from only two sightings of this baby. We

are working in coordination with researchers from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans

(DFO) to obtain facts and photographs that will help solve the matrilineal situation, but the sex of J50

is now confirmed to be female.

http://www.whaleresearch.com/




Where have all the salmon gone?

January 4, 2015

A SHOCK slump in the number of salmon caught on the River Tweed in Peeblesshire has been revealed.

Over the peak three month season ending on November 29, every beat on the upper river recorded a fall in catch numbers compared to the previous year.

On Traquair, just 34 fish were taken – down from 188 on the corresponding period of 2013.

It was a similar story at Holylee where rods took only 34 salmon, compared to 119 last year.

Other Peeblesshire beats recorded the following catches: The Nest 37 (91 last year), Ashiestiel 34 (105), Glenormiston 28 (87), Cardrona 34 (79) and Dawyck 20 (36).

The statistics, posted on the online magazine FishTweed and gleaned from catch returns from beats and angling associations across the catchment, show that just 2,500 salmon were taken with rod and line in the last three months of the season.

This compares to 8,000 which were caught in the corresponding period last year. Across the entire season, just 4,000 salmon were taken, compared to the five-year average from 2008-2013 of 11,000.

Although the exact totals will not be confirmed until the annual general meeting of the River Tweed Commissioners (RTC) in March, the beat owners will have much to ponder about the future of an industry worth an estimated £15m to the Borders economy.

The RTC has already introduced a compulsory catch and release policy - from February 1 to June 30 - for spring-running salmon (a rarity on the upper Tweed) in a bid to conserve stocks.

Among end-of-season reports posted on the FishTweed website is one from Hawick Angling Club, the largest association of its kind in the Borders.

“Thanks goodness that this season is over,” states the report, citing “far fewer fish than there should be”.

“Disease is rife with a high proportion of fish showing fungus in varying degrees. Let’s just hope this has been a one-off bad season and next year will be better.”

Theories abound as to reasons for the dearth of salmon catches in

2014 – from the overharvesting of salmon food (krill) at sea to the

spread of lice infestation from commercial salmon farms.

http://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/borders/articles/2015/01/04/520246-where-have-all-the-salmon-gone/




There appears, however, to be consensus on the need for a curb on wholesale coastal netting of salmon.

An online petition to Holyrood is calling for the Scottish Government to follow the example of the RTC and outlaw for a period of five years the killing of all Atlantic Salmon, either by nets or rods, before July 1 each year. The petition by Ian Gordon of the Salmon and Trout Association (Scotland) also urges the government to “take such steps as are necessary to bring an end to the exploitation of wild salmon by mixed stock fisheries at any time of year, in line with Scotland’s international commitments and obligations.”

The online petition closes on January 26.




B.C. wildlife user groups have called on the provincial government to retake control of resource

extraction practices, planning and oversight.

B.C. government reviews environmental oversight of resource development

Pr v ce’ u e f c mp -hired professionals to monitor environment part of review

January 14, 2015

http://www.vancouversun.com/government+reviews+environmental+oversight+resource+development/10729878/story.html#ixzz3OqxNdCsd




The B.C. Liberal government has launched an internal review of how its laws and oversight of

resource development affects wildlife habitat.

The review, headed by Prince George North MLA Mike Morris, is a response, in part, to concerns

raised by a trio of wildlife user groups late last year.

The 43,000-member B.C. Wildlife Federation, B.C. Trappers Association and the Guide Outfitters

Association of B.C. called on the provincial government to retake control of resource extraction

practices, planning and oversight.

The groups said the government’s move in the past decade to rely on professionals hired by industry

to make decisions on the land base, with little government oversight, has failed.

The government has reduced its own professional staff that monitors resource company practices

and moved to a model where they increasingly rely on professionals who work for the companies,

including foresters and engineers, to ensure the environment is protected.

The groups outlined their concerns in a letter to Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Minister

Steve Thomson, which was copied to Premier Christy Clark.

Thomson said he disagreed professional reliance was a failure, but said he was willing to discuss

concerns with the groups.

Morris, a former RCMP superintendent, has until the end of June to complete the review and deliver

advice to Thomson.

Morris’s mandate includes examining provincial and federal legislation, land-use planning,

monitoring, cumulative effects of resource development as well as the professional reliance issue.

“Personally, I am supportive of professional reliance if it’s done properly. I think that we’ve fallen

down on that. And that needs to be looked at, but to what degree I don’t know,” Morris said in an

interview.

“I’m certainly not going to prejudge anything before I’ve done my review on this,” added Morris, who

was a trapper for 30 years.

Morris will be assisted by staff in the ministries of forests, environment, natural gas development,

energy and mines and agriculture.

B.C. Wildlife Federation representative Wayne Salewski said they are pleased to have the attention

of government.

Professionals are caught in the middle of sustaining the environment verses the economics of the

company they work for with little latitude for innovation, said Salewski, the habitat and sustainability

chair for federation.

An independent report last year also raised concerns over professional reliance.

The B.C. Ombudsperson report on the use of professional reliance to

protect sensitive areas around streams during logging concluded there

had been a lack of oversight, training, information and reporting by the

provincial government.




Criticism has also been levied on inadequate government oversight in the aftermath of the collapse of

Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley gold and copper mine tailings dam in early August last year.

The dam collapse, among the largest in the world in the past 50 years, released millions of cubic

metres of water and potentially-toxic tailings into the Quesnel Lake watershed.

The Vancouver Sun has reported that the B.C. government conducted no geotechnical inspections of

the Mount Polley mine’s tailings dam in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and only five geotechnical inspections

of B.C.’s 60 operating and shuttered mines in 2010 and 2011.

Inspections have increased since then, and the B.C. government has hired additional geotechnical

inspectors.

B.C. Wildlife officials have said the government may need to hire more inspectors to monitor

resource company practices, and they have called for an expanded role for the B.C. Forest Practices

Board to include the mining and oil-and-gas sectors.

The board, created under the NDP in the mid-’90s, is an independent watchdog agency that reports

directly to the B.C. legislature. The board audits and releases reports on individual forest companies

but also on larger concerns, such as the effects of wide-scale logging of beetle-killed timber.

Morris said he plans to talk to Forest Practices Board officials and will consider the expansion

suggestion.

He said he will also talk to professionals such as foresters and biologists, the wildlife associations

and representatives of the forest, mining and oil-and-gas sectors.

Morris said he was not certain whether there will be any public meetings or call for submissions.




Situation Assessment for Capitol Lake

December 19, 2014

http://ruckelshauscenter.wsu.edu/documents/RuckelshausCenterSituationAssessmentReportonCapitolLakeManagemen.pdf



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Documents

Legacy - February 2015