Thanks to the efforts of the San Juan Islands Audubon Society, San Juan Preservation Trust, American Bird Conservancy, and the Ecostudies Institute of Mount Vernon and Fort Lewis, Western Bluebirds are now winging their way over the San Juan Islands for the first time in nearly 50 years. http://www.nps.gov/sajh/naturescience/western-bluebird.htm Orca Whales and Wildlife are our only business
You are probably already aware of how harmful the fish farms are to the orca that pass near them in Canada. No? read this: http://www.orcanetwork.org/habitat/fishfarms.html
This message was just passed to me from The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. Today BC Supreme Court ruled in our favor once again. Justice Hinkson granted the federal government a suspension order until December 18, 2010 so that Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) can further prepare to assume control of regulating salmon farms. However, Justice Hinkson forbade any expansion of aquaculture during that period. Specifically, the province cannot issue any new fish farm licences and cannot expand the size of any tenure. He recognized the First Nation interest in this matter by granting the Musgamagw-Tsawataineuk Tribal Council intervenor status, which is essential as this case is based in their territory.
On the matter pursued by Marine Harvest at the Court of Appeal and sent back to Justice Hinkson to reconsider (that is whether the fish in the farms are privately owned by the companies and whether the Farm Practices Protection Act (FPPA) is still in force), Hinkson confirmed that the FPPA, will no longer apply to finfish aquaculture and thus no longer protect farms from nuisance claims.
On the question, does Marine Harvest own the fish in their pens? Justice Hinkson found that this was not the place for this decision. Marine Harvest will have to bring this before the courts themselves. For now, we know that the aquaculture fish are now part of the fisheries of Canada.
Today’s decision is met by the unrelated announcement by US box store chain “Target” that they have eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood offerings in its stores across the United States, because of farm salmon environmental impact on native salmon.
There is an enormous amount of work ahead to translate any of this into better survival of our wild salmon, but the courts seem consistently interested in bringing reason, the constitution and the law to bear on the Norwegian fish farm industry in British Columbia.
While I am truly sorry that jobs will be lost in ocean fish farming, bear in mind the industry is in deep trouble with mother nature herself in the fish farming strongholds of Chile and Norway. Trying to hold this nomadic fish in pens is never going to work, because it causes epidemics, unnatural sea lice infestations and drug resistance. Salmon farming is not sustainable and ultimately we are better served by our wild fish.
Rare whale strands in Puget Sound A highly unusual stranding of a tropical Bryde's whale occurred in southern Puget Sound this week and an examination was conducted by Cascadia Research, WDFW, and NOAA. The whale was first reported floating dead on Saturday, 16 January 2010 and temporarily came ashore a couple of locations in southern Puget Sound over the next couple of days. The whale was towed to a remote location (thanks to the help of Taylor Shellfish) and a detailed examination conducted on the afternoon of 19 January. This species primarily uses warmer tropical waters and in the eastern North Pacific has not generally been seen north of southern California. It appears to have been in Puget Sound several weeks because there had been several puzzling sighting reports going back at least to the beginning of January of a live whale roughly meeting the description of this whale. This is the first confirmed sighting or stranding of this species in the Pacific Northwest that we are aware of. The whale was just under 39 feet and appeared to be an immature whale. Examination showed it had what appeared to be some healed propeller scars on its back and a likely entanglement injury on its fluke but both these were not serious and did not appear to play a role in the whales death. The whale had no food in its stomach or intestines and so did not appear to have fed in a while. The blubber layer was very thin and did not have much oil in it suggesting starvation may have played a role and possible exposure to cold (due to the small blubber layer and colder waters than is typical habitat for this animal). Because the whale had died very recently, the tissues were very fresh and allowed a very detailed examination and sample collection. This included samples for biotoxin analysis, disease screening, contaminant testing, genetics, and histo-pathology. These tests will be run over the coming months and may provide additional insight into what the animal was doing here and why it died. More photos are on Cascadia Research's websitehere.
From the Cascadia Research site http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/Brydes%20stranding%20-%2019Jan%202010.htm
A highly unusual stranding of a tropical Bryde's whale occurred in southern Puget Sound this week and an examination was conducted by Cascadia Research, WDFW, and NOAA. The whale was first reported floating dead on Saturday, 16 January 2010 and temporarily came ashore a couple of locations in southern Puget Sound over the next couple of days. The whale was towed to a remote location (thanks to the help of Taylor Shellfish) and a detailed examination conducted on the afternoon of 19 January.
This species primarily uses warmer tropical waters and in the eastern North Pacific has not generally been seen north of southern California. It appears to have been in Puget Sound several weeks because there had been several puzzling sighting reports going back at least to the beginning of January of a live whale roughly meeting the description of this whale. This is the first confirmed sighting or stranding of this species in the Pacific Northwest that we are aware of.
SEATTLE – A little over a year after researchers feared a drop in the Northwest’s endangered killer whale population meant disaster, the number of orcas has bounced back with six new babies and no whales lost. Read more by clicking below: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/worldnation/527515-227/scientists-say-us-killer-whale-population-making.html
10TH ANNUAL “STORMING THE SOUND” EDUCATOR WORKSHOP SET FOR JANUARY 29 IN LA CONNER
(La Conner, WA) Hundreds of north Puget Sound environmental educators will gather at Maple Hall in La Conner at 9 AM on Friday, January 29, for the 10th annual “Storming the Sound” educator workshop.
The all-day workshop is co-organized by People For Puget Sound, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the National Park Service, and brings together environmental educators in the K-12 schools, organizations with education resources, and students interested in pursuing a career in environmental education.
“Participants can attend a wide variety of planned sessions organized by leaders of our regional environmental education community,” said community education director Ann Butler of People For Puget Sound. “Past workshops topics have included climate change, working with interns, grant-writing and web-based environmental education.”
Storming the Sound attendees will also hear inspiring speakers and meet representatives from over 30 sponsoring organizations who bring with them environmental resources and valuable information to share.
Of course, come the summer time there are places all over the United States to enjoy. Whale Watching. On the West coast, one of my favorite excursions is with San Juan Safaris in Friday Harbor, WA, off the coast of Seattle. Whale watching and wildlife tours depart daily from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island from April to October. San Juan Safaris are known for their knowledgeable and enthusiastic naturalists and small personalized tours. Guests will enjoy watching the antics of orca whales in their natural habitat along with dolphin, seals, sea birds, kelp forests, light houses, and the beautiful shorelines of the San Juan Islands. San Juan Safaris’ check-in desk is directly across the street from the ferry landing.
Created by artist Mathew Gray Palmer of Friday Harbor, Washington, Here is the link to the story with photos http://thepocomokepubliceye.blogspot.com/2010/01/zoo-elephant-swarming-with-butterflies.htmlFriday, January 15, 2010
City of Norfolk Public Art Program Dedicates Art Project at Virginia Zoo
A new elephant is moving into the Virginia Zoo, and she’s bringing thousands of butterflies with him! The iconic beast will greet visitors at the front plaza and amaze them with her sheer size and her swarm of butterflies.
This African elephant isn’t a living, breathing creature. She is an incredible piece of art. The life-size elephant sculpture is the latest addition to the City of Norfolk’s Public Art Program. Created by artist Mathew Gray Palmer of Friday Harbor, Washington, the elephant is comprised of over 10,000 thousand delicate, plasma cut aluminum butterflies.
“The Virginia Zoo is thrilled to be selected as a recipient for the public art program,” notes executive director, Greg Bockheim. “Visitors will be mesmerized by the elephant’s size, its powerful tusks and intense eyes. We’re proud to be home to this remarkable piece of art and to be part of the City’s important initiative to make art accessible to the community.”
The artist, who was selected by a panel of judges, visited the Zoo before beginning his project and was impressed by the three African elephants on exhibit as well as the Zoo’s lush gardens, including the butterfly garden. His creation playfully illustrates our interconnection with each other, from the largest terrestrial mammals to the most delicate wind-bound insects. The name of the statue is “All Things Within All Things.”
Here is a letter that we sent to NOAA regarding the changes they wish to make in whale watching regulations around the San Juan Islands. If you too would like to see the regulations stay at 100 yards, the precautionary distance (and not a proposed150, 200, 300 or 400 yards) write toorca.plan@noaa.gov. by January 15, 2010.
To: NOAA
RE: Orca Regulations
January 13, 2010
I am reluctant to get excited about the surge of new orca calves, but I feel compelled to state the obvious.
Do you really believe now that boats have any thing to do with past declines in orca numbers?
Using the “science” you have shown me so far, we must now believe the more the orcas are watched, the more babies they will have.
It also seems that you are making decisions based on data collected five years ago which is currently not valid do to new state regulations in place.
What we need is more enforcement and
Vessels may not negligently be within 100 meters of the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW)
Vessels must avoid the established path of SRKW
Vessels must obey a 7 knot speed restriction year round from Eagle Point to MitchellPoint, along San JuanIsland, out ½ mile
Anything imposed on the whale watching industry over the above, is not supported by science, isn’t rational and would be over reaching with no up side for the orcas.
J pod was spotted yesterday, January 1 off Race Rocks near Victoria. They were then spotted later off the west side of San Juan Island. Many folks heard them on the back of hydrophones off Lime Kiln State Park.
