Legacy - June 2015

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Cover: Wild rainbow trout caught and

released while fishing with (Dave and Kim

Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing)

Photo credit: Bryan Gregson Photography

http://westernalaskasportfishing.com/

http://westernalaskasportfishing.com/

http://www.bryangregsonphotography.com/

Legacy – June 2015

Wild Game Fish Conservation International

2015 – Removing Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots

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.

LLeeggaaccyy



Founders

Bruce Treichler Jim Wilcox

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

http://wgfci.blogspot.com/

mailto:%[email protected]

http://wgfci.blogspot.com/






Contents

Conservationist Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk ____________________________________________________ 6

Alexandra Morton _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6

Opinion-Editorial: ___________________________________________________________________________________ 8

ERC Editorial: Farmed Atlantic salmon for sale in Juneau - what's up with that? ___________________________ 8

Obama’s Catastrophic Climate-Change Denial ___________________________________________________________ 9

Fishing Photos and Funnies ________________________________________________________________________ 11

Another derby-winning lingcod caught on “Slammer”, Westport Washington _____________________________ 11

WGFCI Writes to Conserve Wild Fish and Those Who Rely on Them __________________________________ 14

Cariboo Region Mine Development Review Committee: Mount Polley ____________________________________ 14

Responses to Wild Game Fish Conservation International ____________________________________________ 15

Maria Cantwell: Oil train safety ________________________________________________________________________ 15

Patty Murray: Oil train safety __________________________________________________________________________ 16

Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits ______________________________________________ 19

Warning: Eating Farmed Salmon May Affect Your Baby _________________________________________________ 19

Antibiotics in Chile: ‘Biggest example of egregious use in aquaculture’ __________________________________ 20

Here’s why your farmed salmon has colour added to it __________________________________________________ 22

FRANKENFISH? GMO SALMON TESTED SHOW HIGH ALLERGY POTENCY ______________________________ 26

Food & Water Watch Calls on FDA to Declare GMO Salmon Unsafe to Eat ________________________________ 27

Murray, Isakson Urge FDA to Issue Updated Guidance to Pregnant Women on Seafood Consumption ______ 29

Tofino Organic Spring Salmon – NOT ORGANIC! _______________________________________________________ 31

Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:___________________________________________ 32

Community Activism, Education and Outreach ______________________________________________________ 33

Stopping Farmed Salmon at the Cash Register _________________________________________________________ 33

Preliminary examination of contaminant loadings in farmed salmon, wild salmon and commercial

salmon feed _________________________________________________________________________________________ 33

Wal-Mart: Remove hazardous, ocean-based, feedlot salmon _____________________________________________ 34

Ontario company gives up plans to build hazardous waste facility in Chilliwack __________________________ 35

Wild Salmon Caravan 2015 ____________________________________________________________________________ 36

Communities welcome Wild Salmon Caravan __________________________________________________________ 37

Salmon caravan rolls out _____________________________________________________________________________ 40

Wild salmon caravan plans to stop in Chilliwack _____________________________________________________________ 42

Canadian Indigenous Group Rejects $960Million, Halts Pipeline Plans ___________________________________ 45

People vs Shell: Paddle in Seattle _____________________________________________________________________ 47

Greenpeace sails with First Nations to oppose Arctic oil tankers _________________________________________ 50

Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Fridays at Noon __________________________________________ 53

KOKANEE Tips and Tricks ____________________________________________________________________________ 54

Salmon and trout feedlots __________________________________________________________________________ 55

The drug that's meant to save Salmon but is killing the creatures on the Ocean floor ______________________ 57

We WON!!! ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 60

Norwegian farm kills half its fish to prevent ISA spread _________________________________________________ 64

Sea lice infestation could kill up to ‘millions’ of wild salmon _____________________________________________ 65

LEGACY515%20(Repaired).doc#_Toc419922761





Salmon farm certification process falls short ___________________________________________________________ 67

Petition: Divest Dirty Salmon __________________________________________________________________________ 70

Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind ________________ 73

Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked _________________________________________________________ 74

Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen ________________________________ 74

Petition: Save Lelu Island _____________________________________________________________________________ 75

Big Oil Spill Along Refugio Coast ______________________________________________________________________ 76

Oil train derailment prompts evacuation in North Dakota town ___________________________________________ 79

New rules on oil trains draw flak from firefighters, too __________________________________________________ 81

Petition: Add Your Name: Demand Fair Trade, Not Toxic Trade! _________________________________________ 86

New Documents Reveal Serious Corrosion Concerns for Tar Sands Pipelines ____________________________ 87

Enbridge Agrees To Pay $75 Million For Massive Kalamazoo River Tar Sands Spill ________________________ 89

Coal ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 91

Save the Chuitna _____________________________________________________________________________________ 91

The oil boom in one slick infographic __________________________________________________________________ 91

UN climate chief says the science is clear: there is no space for new coal ________________________________ 92

Hydropower / Water Retention ___________________________________________________________________________ 95

Why hydropower could be a risky bet in a warming world _______________________________________________ 96

Cowlitz River Dams Built to Withstand Most Earthquakes _______________________________________________ 98

Solar _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 100

Solar Power Battle Puts Hawaii at Forefront of Worldwide Changes _____________________________________ 101

Precious Metals Mining ___________________________________________________________________________ 106

Water near Mount Polley gold mine still tainted, tests find ______________________________________________ 106

Corporate Greenwashing __________________________________________________________________________ 109

Koch Brothers' Koch Industries Begins First National Ad Campaign ____________________________________ 109

American Petroleum Industry: Energy Superpower is Red, White and Blue ______________________________ 109

CPI JOINS WITH NORTHWEST RIVERPARTNERS FOR HYDROPOWER EDUCATION EFFORT_____________ 110

Wild Game Fish Management ______________________________________________________________________ 111

Ghost Nets Create Ghost Fish ________________________________________________________________________ 111

Emergency closure of recreational fishing in the Hoh, South Fork Hoh, rivers within Olympic National

Park ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 112

Wildlife Artists: ___________________________________________________________________________________ 113

Gary Haggquist Visual Artist _________________________________________________________________________ 114

Diane Michelin - Fly Fishing Fine Art: "Wading Deep" __________________________________________________ 115

Dan Wallace: Passion for Authenticity ________________________________________________________________ 116

Leanne Hodges: West Coast Wild ____________________________________________________________________ 117

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses ____________________________ 118

Riverman Guide Service – since 1969 _________________________________________________________________ 118

Learn to fish: experienced, conservation-minded professional instructors _______________________________ 119

Cabo Sails __________________________________________________________________________________________ 120

Rhett Weber’s Charterboat “Slammer” ________________________________________________________________ 121

Fishmyster Sport Fishing Adventures ________________________________________________________________ 122

UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS ___________________________________________________________ 123





Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing _________________________________________________ 124

Bryan Gregson Photography _________________________________________________________________________ 125

Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours ________________________________________________________________ 126

Casa Mia Italian Restaurant __________________________________________________________________________ 127

Spirit Bear Coffee Company __________________________________________________________________________ 128

Hidden Paths - Slovenia _____________________________________________________________________________ 129

ProFishGuide: Coastal Fishing at its Best _____________________________________________________________ 130

Silversides Fishing Adventures ______________________________________________________________________ 131

Forward

The June 2015 issue of “Legacy” marks forty four 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.

.

Doing so will increase the VICTORIES for wild game fish as reported in this

issue of “Legacy”

Please read then share “Legacy” with others who care deeply about the future of wild game fish and all that rely on them.

Sincerely,

Bruce Treichler James E. Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International




Conservationist Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk

Alexandra Morton







Opinion-Editorial:

ERC Editorial: Farmed Atlantic salmon for sale in Juneau - what's up with

that?

May 3, 2015

Costco Wholesale Corporation is an important part of the business community in Juneau. Thanks to

their efforts, many families and restaurants in Juneau, not to mention the visitors to our community,

have access to high-quality food and goods at reasonable prices. The company, based out of

Kirkland, Washington, is also a responsible employer providing a living wage for many in our

community.

However, we are left scratching our heads after Costco management has chosen (once again) to

stock frozen farmed Atlantic salmon on freezer shelves in the Juneau store.

Make no mistake, we are also grateful that Costco sells fresh and frozen seafood purchased locally

and from Alaskan fishermen. Given all they have done for our community, it’s all the more shocking

to see the retail chain now carrying a product that tugs at the economic fabric of this community.

Commercial fishing is an important part of Juneau’s economy and has been for generations. In 2013,

Juneau fishermen earned a total of $25 million in gross earnings from their catch. Commercial fishing

is the largest private employer in our region and a major overall employer in our local community.

Twelve percent of all earnings in our region come from commercial fishing. Indeed, for the last four

years running, Southeast Alaska has been home to the largest and most lucrative salmon harvest in

the state.

Farmed salmon is an absolute threat to Alaska’s commercial fishing

industry. Escaped Atlantic salmon from British Columbia’s net pens,

for instance, have the potential to spread disease to wild Pacific

salmon and could upset otherwise stable ecosystems.

Few Alaskans would disagree that wild Alaska salmon is a superior product to farmed fish.

Selling frozen, farmed Atlantic salmon to Juneau and other Southeast Alaska residents and visitors is

an affront to the local fishing community. We encourage Costco to stop selling farmed salmon

immediately in Juneau, and, if this product is being sold elsewhere in Alaska, to discontinue sales in

those stores as well. We know Costco will do the right thing — as they have done in so many other

aspects of their business. Working together, we can all support the local commercial fishing industry.

http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2015-05-03/erc-editorial-farmed-atlantic-salmon-sale-juneau-whats

http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2015-05-03/erc-editorial-farmed-atlantic-salmon-sale-juneau-whats




Obama’s Catastrophic Climate-Change Denial

May 12, 2015

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — THE Obama administration’s decision to give Shell Oil the go-ahead to drill in

the Arctic shows why we may never win the fight against climate change. Even in this most extreme

circumstance, no one seems able to stand up to the power of the fossil fuel industry. No one ever

says no.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/opinion/obamas-catastrophic-climate-change-denial.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region&region=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0




By “extreme” I don’t just mean that Shell will be drilling for oil in places where there’s no hope of

cleaning up the inevitable spills (remember the ineptness of BP in the balmy, accessible Gulf of

Mexico, and now transpose it 40 degrees of latitude north, into some of the harshest seas on the

planet).

No, what’s most extreme here is the irresponsibility of Shell, now abetted by the White House. A

quarter century ago, scientists warned that if we kept burning fossil fuel at current rates we’d melt the

Arctic. The fossil fuel industry (and most everyone else in power) ignored those warnings, and what

do you know: The Arctic is melting, to the extent that people now are planning to race yachts through

the Northwest Passage, which until very recently required an icebreaker to navigate.

Now, having watched the Arctic melt, does Shell take that experience and conclude that it’s in fact

time to invest heavily in solar panels and wind turbines? No. Instead, it applies to be first in line to drill

for yet more oil in the Chukchi Sea, between Alaska and Siberia. Wash, rinse, repeat. Talk about

salting wounds and adding insult to injury: It’s as if the tobacco companies were applying for

permission to put cigarette machines in cancer wards.

And the White House gave Shell the license. In his first term, President Obama mostly ignored

climate change, and he ran for re-election barely mentioning the subject until Hurricane Sandy made

it unavoidable in the closing days of the campaign.

Theoretically his second term was going to be different. The president has stepped up the rhetoric,

and he’s shown some willingness to go after domestic greenhouse gas emissions. His new

regulations on coal-fired power plants will be helpful, as will his 2012 rules on fuel efficiency for cars

and trucks. And his nonbinding pledge that America will cut emissions in future decades may make

the upcoming climate talks in Paris less of a fiasco than earlier talks in Copenhagen.

But you can’t deal with climate on the demand side alone. If we keep digging up more coal, gas and

oil, it will get burned, if not here, then somewhere else. This is precisely the conclusion that a study in

the journal Nature reached in January: If we’re to have any chance of meeting even Mr. Obama’s

weak goal of holding temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, we have to leave most carbon

underground. That paper, in particular, showed that the coal reserves in the Powder River basin in

the West and the oil in Canada’s tar sands had to be left largely untouched, and that there was no

climate-friendly scenario in which any oil or gas could be drilled in the Arctic.

And yet Mr. Obama — acting on his own, since these are all executive actions requiring nothing from

Congress — has opened huge swaths of the Powder River basin to new coal mining. He’s still

studying whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, though the country’s leading climate scientists

have all told him it would be a disaster. And now he’s given Shell the green light, meaning that, as

with Keystone, it will be up to the environmental movement to block the plan (“kayaktivists” plan to

gather this weekend in Seattle’s harbor, trying to prevent Shell from basing its Arctic rigs there).

This is not climate denial of the Republican sort, where people simply

pretend the science isn’t real. This is climate denial of the status quo

sort, where people accept the science, and indeed make long

speeches about the immorality of passing on a ruined world to our

children. They just deny the meaning of the science, which is that we

must keep carbon in the ground.




Fishing Photos and Funnies

Another derby-winning lingcod caught on “Slammer”, Westport Washington










WGFCI Writes to Conserve Wild Fish and Those Who Rely on Them

Cariboo Region Mine Development Review Committee: Mount Polley We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International oppose the possible reopening of Imperial Metals' Mount Polley Mine. The expectation by senior mine staff of this mine's failure by senior mine staff was unfortunately realized August 4th, 2014 when the earthen dam retaining Mount Polley Mine's toxic mining tailings failed. This catastrophic breach resulted in a local, national and international downstream aquatic disaster that will never be recovered from. This disaster has impacted, and will continue to impact, human health, the environment and economy. Clearly, this important watershed must be given time and significant resources to recover the best it can from this disaster. Reopening Mount Polley Mine and putting additional natural resources at risk from future dam breaches is nothing short of madness and would be viewed as a total disregard for the area's natural resources and all that rely on them.




Responses to Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Maria Cantwell: Oil train safety

US Senator, Washington State

Dear Mr. Wilcox,

Thank you for contacting me about crude-by-rail safety. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

Railroad safety is an important responsibility and is something I take very seriously as a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. When crude oil is transported, it must be done in a safe way.

In order to enhance the safety of our communities along the rail lines, I introduced the Crude-by-Rail Safety Act (S. 859) on March 25, 2015. If enacted, this legislation would set strong new safety standards for trains hauling volatile crude oil. The legislation takes several important and long overdue steps, including placing strict standards on the volatility of the crude oil being transported by rail and immediately banning the use of tank cars that are known to be unsafe for the purposes of shipping crude oil. This legislation will also fund new first responder training and equipment programs, and require railroads to disclose their emergency response plans while providing local first responders with additional information about the routes taken by trains carrying crude oil. The legislation was referred to the Senate Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where it is currently awaiting further review.

Five years ago, railroads hauled almost no crude oil. Now, Washington state residents see about 19 trains per week moving through our state. These trains carry extremely volatile oil, and the cars that carry that oil are often outdated and not equipped to haul this product. I have spoken with first responders in Washington state and across the country who have told me that, in the event of an accident, they will likely have no choice to but simply contain a fire and "let it burn." The increased movement of oil by rail constitutes a real public safety threat, and federal regulations on crude-by-rail movement must be updated to reflect this threat.

As a member of both the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, please be assured I will keep your thoughts in mind as both committees consider new safety standards, risk reduction measures, and provide oversight of the transport of crude oil.




Patty Murray: Oil train safety

US Senator, Washington State

Dear Mr. Wilcox:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the transportation of crude oil by rail. I appreciate hearing from

you about this important issue.

As you may know, increased production of crude oil from the Bakken shale in North Dakota and

Canada has led to dramatic increases in the shipment of crude oil by rail across the country. At the

same time, several tragic accidents involving crude oil being transported by rail have highlighted the

importance of rail safety and the need for more stringent standards for the tank cars railroads use to

ship crude oil. As domestic production increases, ensuring the safe transportation of crude oil is

critical.

I know how important this issue is to Washington state. In 2013, 17 million barrels of oil were

transported across the state, a significant increase from previous years when railroads hauled almost

no crude oil. With more than 10 crude oil refinery facility expansions under consideration in our state

alone, transport volumes could grow dramatically. I share the concerns expressed by Washingtonians

about the potential for oil spills and other environmental impacts from this increase in traffic. Whether

a train is carrying crude oil on a major rail line or on a local route, our environment must be a top

priority.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and

Urban Development, I have worked hard to ensure that our railways are safe. In April 2014, I chaired

a hearing on rail safety that focused heavily on the growth of crude oil shipments by rail. I also

secured critical new rail safety policies in the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill, including

funding for a new Short Line Railroad Safety Institute to support safety training for short line railroads

transporting crude and ethanol and a mandate for all rail carriers to develop comprehensive oil spill

response plans.

While I was pleased to see the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) release a proposed rule to

improve the safety of transporting crude oil by rail in July 2014, I am very disappointed

that DOT missed the January 2015 deadline to issue a final rule on tank car standards that I put

forward in the Omnibus bill. I will continue to work with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to

ensure that safety remains the Department of Transportation's foremost consideration as these new

regulations are finalized and implemented.

On March 25, 2015, I joined Senator Cantwell in introducing S. 859, the Crude-By-Rail Safety Act of

2015. This important bill would immediately halt the use of older model tank cars, increase rail

inspections, and require DOT to draft new regulations that mitigate the volatility of gases in crude oil

shipped via tank car. It would also require comprehensive oil spill response plans for all trains

carrying crude oil. S. 859 builds on my work in the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill to

help make sure the most dangerous tank cars are kept off the tracks. It is a strong step towards

reducing the risks of oil train accidents while making sure our communities have the resources they

need to be prepared for emergencies if they happen.










Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits

Warning: Eating Farmed Salmon May Affect Your Baby




Antibiotics in Chile: ‘Biggest example of egregious use in aquaculture’

May 14, 2015

MONTEREY, California -- Chilean salmon farmers' loss of part of the Costco Wholesale contract is

not the only consequence arising over antibiotics use.

The other affects the status of public health.

The negative impact of Chilean salmon industry's use of the antibiotic oxytetracycline, put into the

feed to the fight against the persistent and widespread disease salmonid rickettsial septicaemia

(SRS), is already hitting, Peter Bridson, former program manager for Seafood Watch and now a

consultant with Seagreen Research, told Undercurrent News at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's

Sustainable Foods Institute.

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/14/antibiotics-in-chile-biggest-example-of-egregious-use-in-aquaculture/?utm_source=Undercurrent+News+Alerts&utm_campaign=3b320c0802-Americas_briefing_May_14_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_feb55e2e23-3b320c0802-913




“There are examples of antibiotic resistance around salmon farms now,” Bridson said. There is also

evidence the resistance has already built up in salmon, since the antibiotic doesn’t work effectively

now, he said.

This could result in the future in oxytetracycline becoming less effective for humans, since resistance

in bacteria can travel across ecosystems, and from aquatic pathogens to human pathogens, Bridson

said.

Among the scientific literature documenting dangers posed to human health from antibiotic use in

animals is a 2008 article on PubMed, by Norwegian scientist Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, which

says, "Antimicrobial resistance may spread from animals to humans by transfer of resistant bacteria

from animals to humans and resistance genes from animal bacteria to human pathogens."

The resistance build-up in oxytetracycline is particularly concerning

since the World Health Organization lists the antibiotic as being

"highly important" to use for human health, to fight infections due to

chlamydia and brucella.

Antibiotic use in aquaculture, in general, is a major concern for Seafood Watch, and this is one of the

major reasons why open net pen farmed salmon from all major producing regions remain red-rated,

Brian Albaum, business engagement manager for Seafood Watch, told Undercurrent. The concern

applies to Norway and other major producing regions as well, but it is a much more serious problem

in Chile.

“In Chile, the antibiotic use level is off the charts,” Albaum said. “It is several levels higher than

anywhere else.”

Chilean salmon farms use on average 700 grams of antibiotics per metric ton of harvested salmon.

“It’s probably the biggest example of egregious antibiotics use in aquaculture,” Bridson said.

In Norway, the average use of antibiotics is one or two grams per metric ton, he said.

Jon Hindar, CEO of Cermaq, which operates farms in Chile, Norway and Canada, told

Undercurrent Chile needs to put more money and effort into a vaccine for SRS. The decision by

Costco to move a portion of its salmon contract to Norway, partly over antibiotic use in Chile, should

be a wake up call, he said.

Chile’s fight with SRS has persisted despite major industry efforts to rid the farms of it through the

use of this antibiotic and research into new alternatives such as vaccines.

In the meantime, Seafood Watch lists farmed salmon from Chile as red. Most farmed salmon -

including open net pen farmed salmon from Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada -- are also red-

listed, in part due to the use of antibiotics, which is generally seen as concerning to Seafood Watch.

“We’re worried about the development of resistance in the environment itself,” Albaum said of

antibiotic use generally.

The organization is updating its criteria for assessing aquaculture and wild-capture seafood. It will

release the new standards at the end of the year, at which point new assessments on the species

most prevalent in the US -- likely farmed salmon -- will begin.

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/06/costco-starts-selling-norwegian-salmon-labeled-raised-without-antibiotics/

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/14/cermaq-ceo-costco-salmon-shift-should-be-wake-up-call-to-chile-on-antibiotics/

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/14/cermaq-ceo-costco-salmon-shift-should-be-wake-up-call-to-chile-on-antibiotics/

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/13/seafood-watch-overhauling-methods-to-meet-iseal-standard/

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/14/antibiotics-in-chile-biggest-example-of-egregious-use-in-aquaculture/

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/14/antibiotics-in-chile-biggest-example-of-egregious-use-in-aquaculture/




Here’s why your farmed salmon has colour added to it

May 15, 2015

So distinctive is salmon’s orangey-pink hue that Crayola named a crayon after it. It’s an accurate

representation of the flesh of wild salmon, but not that of farmed salmon, whose meat is

naturally gray. Or at least, it would be if salmon farmers didn’t spike their artificial diet with pink-ifying

pellets.

Wild salmon get their ruddy shade by eating krill and shrimp, which contain a reddish-orange

compound called astaxanthin.

http://www.crayola.com/explore-colors/salmon.aspx




(That shrimp-heavy diet is also what turns flamingos pink.) The spectrum varies with the

species: Since Alaska’s sockeye salmon are closer to the Bering Sea’s teeming krill, they’re the

reddest of all. Salmon further south—Coho, king, and pink, for instance—eat relatively less krill and

shrimp, giving them a lighter orange hue.

Like their wild cousins, farmed salmon come in a spectrum of pinks and oranges, depending on diet.

But it’s the farmers—and not the food chain—that determine the salmon’s colour.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/your-guide-to-tasting-the-many-species-of-pacific-salmon-19579684/?no-ist

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/your-guide-to-tasting-the-many-species-of-pacific-salmon-19579684/?no-ist




Since farm-raised salmon live in a pen, they’re fed kibble made from a hodge-podge that might

include oil and flesh of smaller fish (e.g. herring and anchovies), corn gluten, ground-up feathers,

soybeans, chicken fat, genetically engineered yeast.

A Faroe Islands salmon farm.(Reuters/Bob Strong)

An essential ingredient in these pellets is astaxanthin. Sometimes it’s made “naturally” through algae

or pulverized crustaceans; other manufacturers synthesize the compound in a lab,

using petrochemicals. While it provides the salmon with some of the vitamins and antioxidants they’d

get in the wild, salmon health isn’t the selling point.

It’s the “pigmenting,” to use feed industry parlance, that really matters, letting salmon farmers

determine how red their fillets will be. (Thanks to a 2003 lawsuit, they have to alert customers to the

fact of “added” colouring.)

To facilitate that selection process, pharmaceutical giant Hoffman-LaRoche developed what’s now

known as DSM SalmoFan™ (Dutch multinational DSM acquired it in 2002).

http://www.dsm.com/markets/anh/en_US/products/products-solutions/products_solutions_tools/Products_solutions_tools_salmon.html

http://qz.com/358811/heres-why-your-farmed-salmon-has-color-added-to-it/




Wild salmon—which is tastier, more nutritious and can cost two to three times that of farmed salmon

(which is usually $6-10 per pound)—serves as the aesthetic standard as well.

Research by DSM, now one of the biggest astaxanthin makers, shows wealthy shoppers go

for darker-hued salmon, which fetch up to $1 per pound more than lighter shades—something other

industry research (pdf) suggests as well. One study found farmed salmon coloured lower than 23 on

SalmoFan (see below) to be “difficult to sell at any price” (pdf).

Pigmenting supplements are the most expensive component of the farmed salmon diet,

constituting up to 20% of feed costs. But it boosts profitability. And while creating a product that

fetches prices approaching those of wild-caught salmon, farmers can still churn out fillets at an

industrial clip. That often makes things harder on the Pacific Northwest fishermen whose catch

they’re trying to emulate. An abundance of farmed salmon forces fishermen to lower prices of their

wild-caught salmon in order to compete (pdf, p.xxiii).

The fact that consumers will shell out more for salmon that looks wild—even if it got that way by

eating pellets in its pen—hints that people want to be eating wild salmon, but not quite badly enough

to buy the real deal. If it’s price that’s keeping consumers from buying wild-caught salmon, they might

want to consider saving a few bucks more and start demanding farmers cut out those expensive

pigments—and sell them salmon that’s gray.

http://www.dsm.com/markets/anh/en_US/products/products-carotenoids/products-carotenoids-carophyll/products-carotenoids-carophyll-fishandshrimp.html

http://www.dsm.com/markets/anh/en_US/products/products-carotenoids/products-carotenoids-carophyll/products-carotenoids-carophyll-fishandshrimp.html

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/IIFET/2000/papers/andersons.pdf

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/IIFET/2000/papers/andersons.pdf

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.umb.no%2Fstatisk%2Fior%2Fferdig.pdf&ei=1sAAVbzdKYf8oATqmYK4BA&usg=AFQjCNGwaT8ZPPW4D6WrkEOoefJokg6KOw&sig2=2QRkkV6EY4VpDezSWSvvdw&bvm=bv.87920726,d.cGU

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019032

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.traffic.org%2Fspecies-reports%2Ftraffic_species_fish25.pdf&ei=ebgAVYyCDdXnoATlkoCYBg&usg=AFQjCNH9gKlOkCCE9S-VnFZ_za-f69ij4A&sig2=ND5yUOQiLKtXKB_Kv5ObpQ&bvm=bv.87920726,d.cGU




FRANKENFISH? GMO SALMON TESTED SHOW HIGH ALLERGY POTENCY

May 2, 2015

(Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering approving a

genetically modified salmon – not as a food, but as an “animal drug,” according to Sarah Alexander

at Food and Water Watch. If approved, it would be the first GMO animal allowed into our food chain.

But tests have found high levels of both hormone and potential allergens. Only six fish were tested

for allergies – but those fish had an allergenic potency was 20 to 50 percent higher in the GMO

salmon than non-GMO salmon.

Food and Water Watch has launched a petition to require that the FDA review AquaBounty’s GMO

salmon as food—which means it would have to undergo comprehensive toxicological studies to

assure it is safe to consume.

This isn’t the first outcry over GMO salmon. A petition asking the FDA to reject the GMO fish in 2012

drew 250,000 signatures, though the FDA ignored it.

“Unfortunately, the FDA isn't doing an independent, scientific assessment of the risks that GMO

salmon pose to your health, the environment and animal welfare,” Alexander concludes in a letter

sent to consumers. “The FDA can’t make science-based risk assessments based on six fish. And

they shouldn't declare that GMO salmon is safe to eat based on a regulatory review process that

solely treats a food product like a drug.”

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/comment/33559

https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=03BFC5D48679D3E3975805A236BE4E67.app340a?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2075&autologin=true




Food & Water Watch Calls on FDA to Declare GMO Salmon Unsafe to Eat

April 2, 2015

Washington, D.C.—Food & Water Watch filed two legal petitions today asking the FDA to evaluate

AquaBounty’s (ABTX) genetically engineered salmon as a “food additive,” instead of as an animal

drug, and to declare GMO salmon unsafe to eat based on the food additive review process.

“It couldn’t be more clear to consumers that GMO salmon is a food, not a drug,” said Wenonah

Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “It’s also clear that there are serious food safety

concerns with this fish and major scientific gaps in FDA’s animal drug risk assessment. It’s time for

FDA to step up and protect the health and welfare of American citizens rather than the economic

interests of the biotechnology industry.”

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/pressreleases/food-water-watch-calls-on-fda-to-declare-gmo-salmon-unsafe-to-eat/




Food & Water Watch’s identical petitions filed with the FDA today — one citizen petition and one food

additive petition — both argue that FDA’s current animal drug review process is insufficient to protect

public health, and that the agency is required by law to review GMO salmon under what should be a

more rigorous food additive review process. As a food additive, GMO salmon would be presumed

unsafe unless it undergoes comprehensive toxicological studies to ensure that it is safe to consume

and properly labeled.

Food & Water Watch filed a similar petition in 2012, but the FDA refused to review it. The newly filed

petitions include new data showing major weaknesses with FDA’s review of hormone levels and

potential allergens in GMO salmon, both of which appear highly elevated. In the allergy study that

FDA examined, AquaBounty only examined six GMO salmon, which showed a 20 to 50 percent

increased allergenic potency.

“The agency needs to seriously evaluate this petition, as it supports what consumers, scientists,

grocery retailers and even the commercial salmon industry have been saying all along: GMO salmon

is totally unnecessary and highly risky,” said Hauter.

If approved, AquaBounty’s GMO salmon would be the first biotech animal ever to enter the food

supply anywhere in the world. Many scientists have noted major weaknesses in the FDA’s review of

food safety concerns.

“For an agency responsible for 80 percent of the food that we eat—and which often touts its

commitment to science-based regulations—the FDA is shockingly lenient with the quality of science it

is requiring of AquaBounty,” Hauter said. “We can’t make science-based risk assessments based on

six fish. And we can’t declare that GMO salmon is safe to eat based on a regulatory review process

that treats a food product like a drug. The only appropriate course of action for FDA is to evaluate

GMO salmon as a food and declare it unsafe.”




Murray, Isakson Urge FDA to Issue Updated Guidance to Pregnant Women on Seafood Consumption

April 24, 2015

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, a bipartisan group of 29 Senators led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), wrote a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff to express concern over continued delays in establishing updated final advice to pregnant women on seafood consumption.

In the letter, Murray and Isakson, along with Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Kirk (R-IL), James Lankford (R-OK), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), David Perdue (R-GA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), David Vitter (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) urged the FDA to finalize its nutritional advice to be consistent with the latest science, so that women can make informed decisions about what to eat to be healthy and ensure their children get the best possible start.

“Ensuring that women have the best advice that reflects the latest nutrition science about what to eat during pregnancy, for their health and the health of their children, is of the utmost importance,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “…Further delays make it more difficult for pregnant women to make informed decisions about what to eat to provide their unborn children with the best possible start to life. It is critical that FDA finalize its nutritional advice as soon as possible in a manner that is consistent with the latest science.”

Full text of the letter:

Dear Dr. Ostroff:

We write to express our concern over continued delays in establishing updated final advice to pregnant women on seafood consumption from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ensuring that women have the best advice that reflects the latest nutrition science about what to eat during pregnancy, for their health and the health of their children, is of the utmost importance.

On August 22, 2011, then-Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote to our colleagues in the Senate, “I assure you that this matter is currently under review, and we expect to issue revised draft consumption advice this year for public comment.” Instead of being released in 2011, this draft advice was not released until June 2014 – three years later. In the 43 months that have passed since Secretary Sebelius’ commitment, approximately 14 million children have been born in the United States without the benefit of updated advice regarding seafood consumption and fetal development.

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Many pregnant women are affected by the federal nutrition advice, and it must reflect the most up-to-date scientific evidence. We understand medical professional societies have indicated they are waiting for FDA to finalize its updated advice before they recommend their healthcare professionals begin educating pregnant women based on the new advice. Further delays make it more difficult for pregnant women to make informed decisions about what to eat to provide their unborn children with the best possible start to life.

It is critical that FDA finalize its nutritional advice as soon as possible in a manner that is consistent with the latest science. For example, we note the recent recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that the FDA should re-evaluate its advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women to limit their consumption of white albacore tuna. Final advice on this and all issues should also be clearly communicated to be easily understood by all stakeholders, including pregnant women from diverse backgrounds.

In June 2014, you made the following statement at the release of the draft seafood advice: “For years many women have limited or avoided eating fish during pregnancy or feeding fish to their young children . . . But emerging science now tells us that limiting or avoiding fish during pregnancy and early childhood can mean missing out on important nutrients that can have a positive impact on growth and development as well as on general health.” Based on your statement about the importance of this new advice, we expect the FDA to make finalizing the advice according to the latest science a priority.

Sincerely,

Senator Johnny Isakson Senator Patty Murray

Dr. Claudette Bethune:

We have known since 2011 that farmed salmon take up to 10-times more toxins like PCBs than

do farmed land animals for the very same feed.

Some pesticides carry-over from feed to the farmed salmon filet at levels that already EXCEED

established levels to sell on the EU market. "National monitoring data on commercial fish feed

and farmed Atlantic salmon on the Norwegian market were used to provide commercially relevant

feed-to-fillet transfer factors (calculated as fillet POP level divided by feed POP level), which

ranged from 0.4 to 0.5, which is a factor 5-10 times higher than reported for terrestrial meat

products.

For the OCP with one of the highest relative carry-over, toxaphene, uptake and elimination

kinetics were established. Model simulations that are based on the uptake and elimination

kinetics gave predicted levels that were in agreement with the measured values.

Application of the model to the current EU upper limit for toxaphene in feed (50 μg kg(-1)) gave

maximum fillet levels of 22 μg kg(-1), which exceeds the estimated permissible level (21 μg kg(-

1)) for toxaphene in fish food samples in Norway."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21284993

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21284993




Tofino Organic Spring Salmon – NOT ORGANIC!




Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:




Community Activism, Education and Outreach

Stopping Farmed Salmon at the Cash Register

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




Wal-Mart: Remove hazardous, ocean-based, feedlot salmon

“It will take a village” of wild salmon warriors




The Fraser River east of Agassiz and north of Chilliwack

Ontario company gives up plans to build hazardous waste facility in

Chilliwack

May 6, 2015

An Ontario-based company says it is abandoning plans to build a controversial hazard waste facility

near the Fraser River in Chilliwack.

Aevitas president Byron Day said in a written statement Wednesday that “multiple hurdles have

accumulated to a never ending uphill battle.” The facility would have handled drummed hazardous

waste, transformer oil and fluorescent lamps from B.C.

“It is unfortunate that efforts and funding cannot be collaborated to develop world class facilities and

processes as opposed to stopping them,” Day said.

“In this day and age, we do have the means to manage these wastes in a safe and environmentally

friendly manner. These wastes are present in everyone’s daily lives and without facilities such as the

one we were proposing, improper disposal disburses them into the air, land and water.”

Environmentalists immediately hailed the company decision as a victory. “This is very good news for

the Fraser River,” said Mark Angelo, rivers chair of the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.

In December, the council lost a legal bid to stop the City of Chilliwack from rezoning a 1.78-hectare

site near the Fraser River to permit the hazardous waste facility.

A WIN FOR THE FRASER!

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Ontario+company+gives+plans+build+hazardous+waste+facility/11034973/story.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Ontario+company+gives+plans+build+hazardous+waste+facility/11034973/story.html




Wild Salmon Caravan 2015




Communities welcome Wild Salmon Caravan

May 10: Prince George May 11: Cayoose Creek

May 11: Bonaparte - Wild Salmon Caravan Convergence May 12: Hope – “First Salmon” ceremony

May 13: Chilliwack







May 14: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada




Jennifer Pighin is part of the Lheidli T'enneh Khast'an drummers who sang at the Wild Salmon Caravan launch at Fort George Park Sunday.

Salmon caravan rolls out

May 11, 2015

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/news/local-news/salmon-caravan-rolls-out-1.1930758




When Jennifer Pighin was a little girl, she was always fishing. She would walk along the Nechako River and stare as the salmon moved in groups.

"I used to be able to stand on the shore and count salmon going up: 10, 15, 20, or 25, count them in batches of four or five, just swimming together, you could see them," said Pighin Sunday as the Wild Salmon Caravan launched an event that will travel from Prince George to English Bay in Vancouver.

"It's quite devastating to think back of how it used to be and how it is now," said Pighin, who is Lheidli T'enneh First Nation. "Salmon are really important to us."

On Sunday Pighin stood with the Khast'an drummers and sang in honour of water and listened as Tannis Reynolds, also a drummer, introduced her song:

"It's really important to remember our ways were the ways that the salmon were strong," Reynolds told the group of about 30 gathered at Fort George Park. "Our ways say you have to respect salmon and its habitat."

The caravan is a series of events, organized to follow salmon migration routes from the smolts swimming in the headwaters to the ocean. From Prince George, organizers have planned stops in Lillooet, Lytton, Yale, Fort Langley and Vancouver.

"The idea behind the caravan is to open the minds and hearts of more people on the importance of saving wild salmon from industrial harm," said Eddie Garner, who is an organizer of the St:l Nation, based in Chilliwack.

"The purpose is to celebrate the fact that we still have wild salmon to save although they're endangered," he said.

Carl Frederick, who works with the Lheidli T'enneh's fisheries program, spoke of mismanagement of fish stocks and the danger commercial fisheries present to wild salmon.

"Every year, every cycle is getting worse and worse," said Frederick, referencing the "dwindling stock within our territories past the confluence, past Shelly and it goes up into the Bowron River.

Last year, the run cycle had about 12,000 salmon which was up from the year before but a far cry from the 250,000 Frederick said used to be in the run.

"It used to be full of salmon, now we don't even fish it. It's just so bleak," Frederick said.

For caravan organizer Sabina Dennis, salmon is akin to survival for her people.

"Wild salmon has always been a staple of our people and a sacred ally of our people that's not only medicine: it's food, it's also a part of our spirituality and our upbringing is through the salmon," said Dennis, who is Nadleh and lives in Fort Fraser.

"It's as important to us now as it is to protect our own peoples' survival. It's very integrated with our culture. We coexist with salmon. Without them we'll feel lost."




The Wild Salmon Caravan will be stopping in Chilliwack next week as it follows the migratory route of salmon smolts down to the ocean, says organizer Eddie Gardner.

Wild salmon caravan plans to stop in Chilliwack

May 11, 2015

http://www.theprogress.com/news/303291011.html




The Wild Salmon Caravan will be stopping in Chilliwack as it follows the migratory route of salmon

from the headwaters down to the ocean.

Made up of First Nations, and wild salmon advocates, the caravan making its way across B.C. this

week, is both a spiritual and political effort, said Eddie Gardner, a Skwah elder who lives in

Chilliwack, and one of the organizers of the caravan.

The idea of the caravan is to "open people’s minds and hearts to the magnificent spirit of wild

salmon," Gardner said, and to "link coalitions and campaigns into a powerful collective force."

He's heading up to Prince George to join others for the trek down to Vancouver with several stops

along the way.

"This is a grassroots movement of First Nations and wild salmon protectors and everyone is invited to

join in.

"The salmon are so integral, on a cultural, physical and spiritual level. It's about our well being, and

the economy."

The convoy will arrive at Skway First Nation at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13 for a ceremony

and lunch. They're also heading to Cannor Road for 1 p.m., the site that Aevitas officials had been

looking at for a waste recycling plant. Even though the project will not be built in Chilliwack, Gardner

said they will still use the opportunity to celebrate the victory.

"We will celebrate the win regarding Aevitas and galvanize a broader coalition for other campaigns to

protect the sacred waters and our wild salmon."

The salmon is a keystone species, he points out, and yet it is under stress from all directions.

"There is no mistake in calling it the iconic species of B.C. Yet the governments are not doing what

they should be to support and protect wild salmon on a regulatory level," Gardner said.

"This also caravan is sending a message to federal parties and candidates this spring asking them to

explain what they are willing to do to protect the wild salmon and to provide for its resurgence."

They set up a Wild Salmon Caravan fundraising drive at gofundme.com and raised $5,000 for the

caravan, and have reached about half their target of $10,000 to date.

He listed some of what he called the "principal threats" to wild salmon from industrial forces: Mt.

Polley mine disaster, Kinder Morgan pipeline, Enbridge proposal, and the growth of open-pen fish

farms in the ocean.

It's clear wild salmon are at the centre of a "storm brewing" over the province.

"If the salmon go extinct it will have serious and wide-reaching implications."

The idea for the caravan was raised at the Wild Salmon Convergence organized in Chase by Dawn

Morrison and Janice Billy of Neskonlith/Secwepemc First Nation last October.

It could potentially become reason for further celebration, the organizer said.

"We still have wild salmon to save," Gardner said. "They show us what

it means to be resilient, generous and giving."




Eddie Gardner and Dawn Morrison; Wild Salmon Caravan organizers

Eddie Gardner

Dawn and I worked like a great team to get the Wild Salmon Caravan on the rails, and the power of

the people did the great job of raising awareness of the critical need to save wild salmon from

industrial harm! We both love all the people who came together as a powerful collective force. We now

have much more to build upon to give the push back necessary to protect wild salmon, and the sacred

waters for the benefit of future generations! It was all a very happy time!




Canadian Indigenous Group Rejects $960Million, Halts Pipeline Plans

May 18, 2015

As the oil and gas industry seemingly attempts to swallow up pristine land at any cost, one

indigenous band in British Columbia has proven an old adage false — not everything can be

quantified with a price tag. The Lax Kw’alaams Band rejected an energy giant’s plans for a liquefied

gas shipping terminal that would have given each member roughly $267,000 — bucking short-

sighted gain in favor of sustainability.

Malaysian energy giant Petronas and its partners sought to build the $30 billion Pacific NorthWest

LNG terminal on the isolated western coast of the Canadian province as part of the larger Prince

Rupert pipeline project, and offered the 3,600-member first nations group nearly $1 billion to do so.

But the group demurred.

“Hopefully, the public will recognize that unanimous consensus in communities (and where unanimity

is the exception) against a project where those communities are offered in excess of a billion dollars,

sends an unequivocal message this is not a money issue: This is environmental and

cultural,” explained the community’s mayor, Garry Reese in an announcement.

AAA WWWIIINNN FFFOOORRR WWWIIILLLDDD PPPAAACCCIIIFFFIIICCC SSSAAALLLMMMOOONNN!!!

http://theantimedia.org/canadian-indigenous-group-rejects-960million-halts-pipeline-plans/




Reaching a consensus after six public meetings, the Lax Kw’alaams felt the cultural and

environmental consequences of a bustling shipping terminal would be too extensive to warrant their

approval, no matter the monetary gain.

In a statement explaining their decision to refuse the offer, Lelu Island was a salient concern since

the LNG facility was slated to encompass virtually its entire surface area. Not only would the band

lose access to procure traditional plants and medicines, but over 400 culturally modified trees would

be destroyed during the facility’s construction. Such cultural losses, they believe, couldn’t possibly be

monetized.

Of vital importance to the coastal community’s well-being are its marine resources, so the

construction process, location of the port’s infrastructure, and volume of shipping traffic all had to be

considered. By Petronas’ projections, an average of one ship a day would traverse the delicate

habitat, so the Lax Kw’alaams feared even if construction were accomplished with minimal negative

effects, the ongoing activity would be too disruptive to the delicate marine environment. Even

modified plans still seemed to risk major damage to the breeding ground of a local salmon species on

which their livelihood depends on.

The relatively tiny group had such clout, in part, from tough indigenous rights law that

was strengthened last year by Canada’s Supreme Court. Groups like the Lax Kw’alaams who do not

hold treaties with the government, must be consulted for projects that will transpire on their land, and

plans are subject to modification to suit the group’s needs. Though the law doesn’t expressly give

such groups an ultimate veto power, the negative socio-political ramifications for any company

choosing to forge ahead with undesirable plans, act as an unstated stopgap.

Canada’s fossil fuel industry hasn’t been faring well of late, and though this rejection represents

another defeat for the energy giants, activists see a break in the clouds.

A separate project, the Northern Gateway Pipelines, has faced strong resistance from Aboriginal

groups in both British Columbia and Alberta as well as from Alberta’s new premier Rachel Notley.

Notley vowed ahead of her appointment that she would withdraw provincial support for the

plans. “Gateway is not the right decision. I think that there’s just too much environmental sensitivity

there, and I think there’s a genuine concern by the indigenous communities,” she said, as reported in

the Calgary Herald. “It’s not going to go ahead. I think most people know that.”

Notley also stated she wouldn’t be pressuring the White House to complete the last leg of the stalled

Keystone XL Pipeline, which is the controversial proposal to transport Canada’s tar sands oil across

the US to the Gulf Coast of Texas.

Refusal by the small and relatively obscure group of Lax Kw’alaams to be purchased out of their

traditional land is a beautifully symbolic but no less powerful event. In fact, it is a reminder of

Margaret Mead’s compelling exhortation,

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s

the only thing that ever has.”

http://laxkwalaams.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/LB-Backgrounder-Bulletin-1-Final.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/14/business/energy-environment/canadian-aboriginal-group-rejects-1-billion-fee-for-natural-gas-project.html?_r=0

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/notley-works-to-build-calgary-support-but-pipeline-and-royalty-issues-loom

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/notley-works-to-build-calgary-support-but-pipeline-and-royalty-issues-loom

http://www.care2.com/causes/did-canadian-voters-just-save-the-u-s-from-the-keystone-xl-pipeline.html




People vs Shell: Paddle in Seattle










Candace Campo, Audrey Siegl and Taylor George Hollis in front of the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza that was docked in North Vancouver on Friday

Greenpeace sails with First Nations to oppose Arctic oil tankers

May19, 2015

A massive Greenpeace ship will depart the Port of Vancouver on Tuesday with a cross-Canada

Aboriginal delegation. The delegation seeks to raise alarm about the potential surge in U.S. oil

tankers set to ply past British Columbia’s coastlines in the future, should Shell's Arctic oil drilling

plans go full steam ahead.

For ten days, the international environmental organization, active in 40 countries, will sail its largest

ship —the Esperanza —to B.C. coastal communities such as Haida Gwaii to spread the word about

the increased oil spill risks to the province's coastline that could result from Arctic drilling.

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/greenpeace-sails-first-nations-oppose-arctic-oil-tankers




Audrey Siegl (ancestral name sχɬemtəna:t), of the Vancouver-area Musqueum Nation, will be among

the indigenous participants. The First Nations drummer is well known for her anti-oil rally activities,

from Burnaby Mountain to Northern Gateway marches.

“We have bitumen tankers looking to come through already —and now American Arctic oil drilling

tankers? No. I say no to this the same way I say no to LNG, no to Kinder Morgan, and no to the tar

sands. They’re all connected,” she said.

Esperanza ship at sea on March 18, 2015.

The Greenpeace voyage comes just as Shell receives a key U.S. approval this month to start

exploratory drilling in July off the coast of Alaska in the Chukchi Sea. The northern area is bursting

with marine mammals, such as polar bears and belugas, but also contains massive petroleum riches.

Shell Oil is investing billions of dollars in the Arctic, and says the polar region contains 13 per cent of

the world's undiscovered oil, and 40 per cent of its yet-to-be-found natural gas.

In Alaska, Shell proposes to drill into a sea bed 42 metres below the waves at a drill site 112

kilometres from the village of Wainwright, using its drill ship, Noble Discoverer, and

submersible Transocean Polar Pioneer.




"The recent approval of our Revised Chukchi Sea Exploration Plan is an important milestone and

signals the confidence regulators have in our plan,” Shell spokesperson Jeff Mann said in an email.

Hundreds of Arctic oil tankers passing B.C.'s coast?

But for those aboard the Greenpeace vessel, the concern is that Arctic drilling could result in

hundreds of new oil tankers sailing past British Columbia's coastlines. Shell declined to say exactly

how many there would be.

Energy analysts expect Alaskan waters could produce one million barrels of oil per day. The

proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, by comparison, would pump half that, and calls for four

hundred tankers annually.

Greenpeace believes the oil tankers would pass the entire B.C. coastline on their way to U.S.

terminals in Washington, California and Texas. And if any of the tankers ran aground, like the Exxon

Valdez did in 1989, it would have devastating environmental consequences, the group says.

Polar Pioneer being passed by Greenpeace activists in Port Angeles on April 17, 2015.

Candace Campo, of the Sechelt First Nation (shíshálh), was a young adult when the Exxon Valdez

disaster occurred. She doesn't want more oil tankers nearing B.C.'s shores.

(READ ENTIRE VANCOUVER OBSERVER ARTICLE HERE)

.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/business/global/shell-delays-arctic-oil-drilling-until-next-year.html?_r=0%20

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/greenpeace-sails-first-nations-oppose-arctic-oil-tankers




Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Fridays at Noon

“Streaming like wild Pacific salmon”

http://wildsalmonwarriorradio.org/

Wild Salmon Warrior Radio is happy to announce that we are moving to a new Friday one-

hour timeslot. The community radio program will now broadcast from Noon-1pm every

Friday from the home station at Simon Fraser University on CJSF 90.1 FM.

“Our new lunch time timeslot will allow us to continue the conversation around the

protection of Wild Salmon and engage in outreach in the community for live remote

broadcasts” states J Peachy, the show creator and host.

Wild Salmon Warrior Radio is a weekly community based radio program that focuses on

topics related to Wild Salmon conservation, watershed habitat and ocean protection.

Salmon is a keystone species on the Pacific West Coast and to coastal regions around the

world.

The one hour program intends to reach out and engage to all communities who depend on

Wild Salmon as part of their livelihoods. The show is syndicated on community based

radio networks CJMP Powell River 90.1 FM and Nuxalk Radio 91.1 Bella Coola.

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

http://wildsalmonwarriorradio.org/




OLYMPIA CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED

MAY 27, 2015 7:00PM

NORTH OLYMPIA FIRE STATION

5046 BOSTON HARBOR ROAD NE

KOKANEE Tips and Tricks

The public is invited to attend the May 27th meeting of the Olympia Chapter of Trout Unlimited for a

presentation by Brianna Bruce on fishing for Kokanee. Brianna Bruce of Livin' Life Adventures will be

presenting her seminar on Kokanee, where she will be covering the basics that you need to know to

get on the water and be successful. She will discuss what a Kokanee is, their habits, their

environment, basic gear, bait, lures, and techniques for catching these fish in local lakes and beyond.

This will include reading sonar, trolling techniques, stacking rods on downriggers, as well as

alternatives to traditional downriggers.

Join us for light refreshments and a fabulous raffle after the program.

Bio: Brianna Bruce

Brianna Bruce is the owner, operator, and guide of Livin' Life Adventures, and is one of only a small

handful of licensed female guides in Washington State. Growing up in Washington, and fishing her

entire life, she has a vast knowledge of the different fishing opportunities our state has to offer.

Kokanee, salmon, and steelhead are some of her favorite species to pursue, but she enjoys chasing

anything with fins! Fishing has been a lifelong passion for Brianna, and it made perfect sense to

make it her profession. She loves to share her passion for fishing and the outdoors with everyone,

whether on the water or speaking to a group, and puts on several seminars a year around Western

Washington on different topics. Her email is [email protected].

../../Users/James%20Wilcox/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Word/[email protected]




Salmon and trout feedlots







The drug that's meant to save Salmon but is killing the creatures on the

Ocean floor

May 10, 2015

A toxic drug fed to caged salmon in Scotland is due to be withdrawn from the market after scientists

found that that it can leak into lochs and kill crabs, shrimps and lobsters.

Food pellets laced with a chemical called teflubenzuron have long been given to farmed salmon

around the coast in order to control sea lice infestations. The lice eat salmon, killing them or stunting

their growth, and can cause multi-million-pound losses for fish farmers.

But salmon excrete the chemical, which then pollutes the seabed around fish farms at levels than can

be lethal to marine wildlife. Shellfish are poisoned and prevented from making new shells to protect

them as they grow.

Now the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) says it has persuaded the company that

markets the drug to withdraw it. Campaigners, however, warn that replacement drugs could do just

as much harm, and are demanding a much broader legal ban.

The latest research on teflubenzuron was conducted by scientists from the Institute of Marine

Research and the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research in Bergen, Norway. They

detected high concentrations in sediment around a salmon farm on a fjord north of the city.

They estimated that it took 170 days for the teflubenzuron pollution to reduce by half, suggesting that

it will persist in the marine environment for years. The drug was found in most of the wildlife they

tested, including worms, crabs and fish.

In a study published in the journal, Science of The Total Environment, the researchers concluded that

the levels in king crabs, shrimp and two species of lobster were high enough to kill them as they

naturally shed and replace their shells. Teflubenzuron is designed to prevent animals from making

chitin, a tough cellulose material vital for renewing shells.

Teflubenzuron has been regularly used on salmon farms in Scottish sea lochs along the west coast

and on islands for years. According to Sepa, environmental quality standards for the drug were

breached once in 2011, six times in 2012 and six times in 2013.

Pharmaq, the company that markets teflubenzuron under the brand name Calicide, confirmed that

marketing in the UK "would be voluntarily stopped". The product's manufacturer, Skretting, said that it

"will no longer be offered in Scotland pending further review with all stakeholders."

The Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation, which represents the fish farm industry, said that

teflubenzuron was "not an issue in salmon farming in Scotland today because it is so rarely used".

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/the-drug-thats-meant-to-save-salmon-but-is-killing-the-creatures-on-the-ocean-floor.125449569

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/the-drug-thats-meant-to-save-salmon-but-is-killing-the-creatures-on-the-ocean-floor.125449569




But this has failed to satisfy critics and wild fishing groups, who have long been concerned about the

hazards of the toxins used in salmon farming. They are demanding an immediate statutory ban on

teflubenzuron and other chemicals used to treat sea lice, and the complete containment of fish farms.

Guy Linley-Adams, the lawyer for for the Salmon and Trout

Association's aquaculture campaign, warned that the next "chemical

fix" for sea lice would also be likely to damage marine wildlife. "Fish-

farming must be moved into closed containment, where sea-lice can

be controlled without toxic chemicals being discharged into the wider

environment," he said.

Don Staniford from the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture said: "You don't have to be a

rocket scientist to understand that a chemical designed to kill sea lice also kills other crustaceans.

"Sepa should now ban all the other toxic chemicals used on salmon

farms which kill shellfish. Teflubenzuron is just one of the lethal

cocktail of chemicals used by Scotland's toxic salmon farming

industry."

Sepa's aquaculture specialist, Douglas Sinclair, told the Sunday Herald: "Teflubenzuron has not been

used by fish farms in Scotland since 2013. Sepa recently discussed the residues of teflubenzuron

arising from the use of the medicine in Scotland with the company which markets the product. The

company agreed to remove the product from the market in Scotland. Further use is therefore

unlikely."

Fiona Matheson, secretary to Orkney Fisheries Association, which

represents over 50 fishing vessels and processors, argued that

teflubenzuron should be removed from the list of licenced fish farm

drugs. "We need a stronger assurance than teflubnezuron's use may be

unlikely," she said. "Its use should be legally ended."







Thank you!!!!! to the Ecojustice team

Savannah Carr-Wilson, Lara Tessaro, Margo Venton, Morgan Blakely, Dyna Tuytle

We WON!!!

May 7, 2015

READ DECISION - Download T-789-13 - Judgment and Reasons copy.pdf (1038.2K)

On May 6, 2015 The Honourable Mr. Justice Rennie handed down the decision that DFO has been

unlawfully allowing the salmon farming industry to transfer farmed salmon into marine net pens that

are carrying diseases with the potential to 'severely impact' the wild fishery at an international level

[72].

He ruled that DFO is abdicating its legal responsibility to protect and conserve wild fish by handing off

decisions about transferring fish with diseases to the salmon farming industry [83].

Editorial Comment:

A major international victory for wild Pacific salmon and all that rely on them!

AAA WWWiiilllddd SSSaaalllmmmooonnn VVViiiccctttooorrryyy!!!

http://www.ecojustice.ca/

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2015/05/we-won.html

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2015/05/%3Ca%20href=%22http:/alexandramorton.typepad.com/T-789-13%20-%20Judgment%20and%20Reasons%20copy.pdf%22%3EDownload%20T-789-13%20-%20Judgment%20and%20Reasons%20copy.pdf%20(1038.2K)%3C/a%3E

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2015/05/%3Ca%20href=%22http:/alexandramorton.typepad.com/T-789-13%20-%20Judgment%20and%20Reasons%20copy.pdf%22%3EDownload%20T-789-13%20-%20Judgment%20and%20Reasons%20copy.pdf%20(1038.2K)%3C/a%3E




Most BC farmed salmon are infected with piscine reovirus. Many scientists in Norway have

published research showing that piscine reovirus causes the disease, HSMI, which is known to

damage salmon hearts to the point that fish can barely move.

The problem for the BC salmon farming industry is that most of the fish in their pens are infected with

this virus. It is critical to them to be allowed to use piscine reovirus infected fish, because they don't

have enough uninfected fish to be profitable.

However, since these infected farm fish are being placed on our wild salmon migration routes, by the

millions the potential impact of this virus on wild salmon is critical to Canadians.

In my view government has tried to perpetuate a dangerous myth that this disease is no threat to

BC's wild salmon.

The Honourable Justice Rennie on piscine reovirus

Justice Rennie made it clear that it is not really up to the courts to arbitrate on science, however,

since the issue of whether pisine reovirus causes the disease HSMI was raised in this case that it

had to be considered.




While it would seem a simple matter to just do the science to test this, let me just say it is not. It

could be simple, but it is not.

Justice Rennie informs us that in his view, the science is convincing that PRV causes a disease that

may be harmful to wild salmon and that it would be unreasonable not to expect that disease to follow

the salmon farms industry into BC

...the weight of the expert evidence before this Court supports the view that PRV is the viral precursor

to HSMI. [35]

...the evidence, suggests that the disease agent (PRV) may be harmful to the protection and

conservation of fish, [45]

...it would be an unreasonable inference to draw from the evidence that it will not appear in farmed

Atlantic salmon on the Pacific Coast. [57]

The evidence, suggests that the disease agent (PRV) may be harmful to the protection and

conservation of fish, and therefore a “lack of full scientific certainty should not be used a reason for

postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation” [45]

These are welcome words as we stand in a world facing critical degradation by ill-thought out human

activity.

The judge had strong words for DFO:

The Minister of Fisheries pleaded that she was

"guided by expert advisors" and that the

licence conditions were based on "scientific

criteria," but Justice Rennie noted that the

Minister had said nothing about the science

and furthermore he said:

The Minister sheltered behind Marine

Harvest's evidence [37]

The point is that assertions made in order to

bolster the reasonableness of the Minister’s

exercise of discretion cannot be made without

evidence. [38]

What the Minister cannot do is make

unsupported statements of science.[39]

What a powerful statement that is. Not just an "unsupported statement", but an "unsupported

statement of science." What is science that has no supporting material? The very definition of

science is a systematically organized body of knowledge. Science without supporting evidence is

junk, it is not science.




What does all this mean?

Because the weight of evidence suggests PRV causes disease [35], and because “there is no

question that (HSMI) is a threat to aquaculture operations” [33], that the law prohibits such transfers.

This would mean the salmon farming industry has to either find disease-free fish or has to stop

transferring the diseased farmed salmon into ocean net pens.

What actually happens next is anybody's guess, hopefully it will not mean that we are not allowed to

know if farmed salmon are diseased or not. The Province of BC already considered passing a

Bill with this power. How far will our federal and provincial governments go to protect this industry

instead of Canadians? We have a ringside seat.

You can help by signing and SHARING this petition

And by donating to reach out to the farmed salmon consumers

Meanwhile the sea louse infestation of BC's wild salmon continues after a lull of seven years where

the salmon farmers kept their lice under control. Something has gone very wrong today. As usual

they are denying they are at fault. Globe and Mail May 7, 2015

more on this later.....

Related: Vancouver court orders new safeguards to prevent fish farm disease spreading to ocean

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bcs-animal-health-act-makes-sickness-a-secret/article4217793/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bcs-animal-health-act-makes-sickness-a-secret/article4217793/

https://www.change.org/p/to-the-citizens-of-norway-divest-from-dirty-salmon

http://www.gofundme.com/isk8bw

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/sea-lice-infestation-could-kill-up-to-millions-of-wild-salmon/article24300307/

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Vancouver+court+orders+safeguards+prevent+fish+farm+disease/11037779/story.html




Norwegian farm kills half its fish to prevent ISA spread

May 19, 2015

Ellingsen Seafood in Lofoten, Norway, has had to slaughter more than 800,000 of its salmon at sizes

too small to be of use, to prevent the spread of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) reports NRK.no.

In conjunction with the country's food safety authorities, the farm slaughtered 830,000 of a group of

1.4 million fish. CEO Line Ellingsen described the move a potentially major loss of income.

The remaining 600,000 fish are hoped to be salvageable. This is the fourth facility in the Raftsundet

are to be infected with ISA since last fall, said NRK.

Read the full story (in Norwegian) here.

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2015/05/19/norwegian-farm-kills-half-its-fish-to-prevent-isa-spread/

http://www.nrk.no/nordland/taper-140-millioner-etter-ila-utbrudd-1.12366391

http://www.nrk.no/nordland/taper-140-millioner-etter-ila-utbrudd-1.12366391




Sea lice infestation could kill up to ‘millions’ of wild salmon

May 7, 2015

Independent researcher Alexandra Morton claims a sea-lice infestation in the Broughton Archipelago

will kill “hundreds of thousands if not millions” of wild salmon this spring.

And the controversial biologist, who in 2001 sounded the alarm about sea-lice infestations on the

B.C. coast, is once again blaming fish farms for the outbreak, saying densely packed farm pens

serve as reservoirs for the lice, which drift with the tide, infecting passing wild salmon.

The BC Salmon Farmers Association says the charge is without scientific merit, because there has

been no outbreak of lice in farms and when lice are detected, fish are promptly treated with SLICE, a

pesticide that is 95 per cent effective.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/sea-lice-infestation-could-kill-up-to-millions-of-wild-salmon/article24300307/




But Ms. Morton says she has been collecting samples of young pink and chum salmon at the same

three sites near salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago each spring since 2001, and is now

seeing some of the highest numbers of sea lice.

“I’ve had a crew out there since April 4 and we were very surprised to see heavy concentrations of

sea lice,” she said Wednesday. “We look at 100 fish at each site, so 50 pink and 50 chum and … 94

per cent are infected.”

Ms. Morton said the sample sites are all in the vicinity of fish farms and the tiny, juvenile wild salmon,

which recently hatched from eggs in nearby rivers, average two lice a fish, which is enough to kill

them at this early stage of life.

A flurry of scientific research into lice was done following the collapse of pink salmon runs in the

Broughton Archipelago after Ms. Morton warned a heavy infestation was going to decimate stocks.

The federal government, the fish farming industry and non-governmental organizations then agreed

on practices to better control sea lice in farms. Some farms were fallowed when juvenile salmon were

migrating past, and farmers began more rigorously treating infected fish.

Ms. Morton said those methods seemed to work for a period.

“For the past seven years we saw excellent low levels of lice. Suddenly, this year, we are back up,”

she said. “Now, we don’t know whether the salmon farms failed to treat, or if their treatment failed.”

Jeremy Dunn, a spokesman for the BC Salmon Farmers Association, said sea-lice levels are

currently low on farmed fish, however, and when a problem has been encountered, the fish have

been treated.

Mr. Dunn said since 2010, under the Broughton Archipelago Management Plan, fish farms carefully

monitor and control sea lice, including treating farms for lice in the weeks before juvenile wild salmon

migrate past.

He said the high numbers Ms. Morton is reporting are likely due to natural conditions, including high

ocean salinity levels, warmer water temperatures and large spawning runs of adult wild pink and

sockeye salmon that brought lice to the area last fall.

Sean Godwin, a Simon Fraser University doctoral biology student, published a paper last week that

showed wild juvenile sockeye salmon infected with sea lice have a tougher time surviving.

“We found sockeye salmon highly infected with sea lice are less able to compete for food than lightly

infected or uninfected fish,” said Mr. Godwin, whose study showed heavily infected fish were able to

consume about 20 per cent less food on average.

Mr. Godwin said his research did not try to determine the source of the lice he found on wild sockeye,

but he noted that a past study has shown salmon farms do spread sea lice to wild stocks.

In a statement, Chief Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, said he was

“deeply concerned” by reports of sea-lice infestations in the Broughton Archipelago, near Port

McNeill on northeast Vancouver Island. He called for an end to the expansion of fish farms on the

B.C. coast.




This sea lion was drowned when it became entangled in a salmon farm's predator net.

Salmon farm certification process falls short

May 14, 2015

http://www.livingoceans.org/media/news/salmon-farm-certification-process-falls-short?trackpar=fb20.05.2015




Living Oceans filed a formal complaint at the end of April against the certification of Marine Harvest’s Marsh Bay salmon farm under the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) program. The farm is the first salmon farm in North America to be approved under the ASC certification program, making it a precedent setting case. This is concerning as the Marsh Bay site continues to report alarmingly unsustainable on-site practices.

Since receiving certification in January 2015, the open net-pen farm reported the accidental drowning of four sea lions in its predator nets and in April its sea lice counts soared to dangerous levels. Either of these events would have disentitled it to certification had they occurred during the third-party audit conducted by SAI Global.

Marine Harvest applied for certification of its Shelter Bay farm at the same time as the Marsh Bay farm, but had to withdraw that application when six sea lions were found entangled and drowned in its nets during the audit process.

http://www.asc-aqua.org/




Several open net-pen salmon farms lie in the path of wild salmon outmigration routes where sea lice from the farms latch on to the passing smolts. Other farms are situated in rockfish conservation areas where fish feces and food waste from the farms accumulate on the sea floor.

Our complaint alleges that the Marsh Bay audit failed to conform to the basic requirements of the ASC standard. For example, the on-site audit was performed five months before harvest activities were scheduled to begin, although a farm’s initial audit is supposed to include harvesting and certain sampling that is only possible when the farm is at peak biomass, just prior to harvest. This resulted in a major non-conformity that could not possibly be reconciled within the rules: any major non-conformity has to be closed within three months or the audit has to be repeated.

Marine Harvest has applied for ASC certification of its farms at Duncan and Doyle Islands. The audits will be done in June.

B.C. salmon farming companies Cermaq, Grieg and Marine Harvest have publicly committed to get all of their farms certified under the ASC program by 2020. With this level of looming industry pressure and expectancy, it becomes extremely important to ensure that the certification audits are done properly. This is, indeed, the only way to ensure that true progress is being made on the water, not just on paper.




Petition: Divest Dirty Salmon

https://www.change.org/p/to-the-citizens-of-norway-divest-from-dirty-salmon




Dear Norway,

You divested from dirty oil and coal earlier this year. Thank you! Now it is time to divest from dirty

salmon, your industry is too big now to be using our oceans as an open sewer.

If you agree, please sign and share this letter:

Canadians and Norwegians love wild salmon, but Norwegian salmon farms are one of the greatest

threats to this magnificent fish in both our countries.

I am a Canadian biologist who studied whales until your salmon farming industry moved in: Marine

Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg. Now I study sea lice and farmed salmon viruses.

As I follow your news on the escape of rainbow trout into Norway’s fjords, I see we have become

mirror images of the same industrial disaster. Diseased American trout threaten Norway’s wild

salmon, while diseased Atlantic farm salmon threaten Canada’s wild salmon. Why would we do this?

The world has noticed that salmon farming is a dirty industry. People are increasingly afraid to eat

farmed salmon due to toxins. I described the salmon-farming nightmare on 60 Minutes. Bloomberg,

the world’s leading business publication, reports on "Why You'll Never Want to Eat Farm-Raised

Salmon."

The relationship between your salmon farmers and both our governments is disturbing. Norway,

world champion for social responsibility, actually convinced the EU to permit 10xs more

endosulfan in farmed salmon feed to increase profitability. This is one of the most dangerous

pesticides banned in most parts of the world because of the horrific damage it does to babies! Is this

really the same Norway, who chooses the Nobel Peace Prize laureates to reward the highest moral

behavior?

Meanwhile, in Canada laws are being rewritten to legalize release of sea lice chemicals that kill wild

fish, transfer of diseased farmed salmon into wild salmon habitat, ownership of salmon in Canadian

waters, and 9-year licences. This is madness. Our countries are failing to live up to our standards.

Salmon farming was born in Norway, but they use Canada to satisfy their shareholders. Norway just

divested from dirty oil, (thank you Norway) perhaps it is time to divest from dirty salmon?

Please tell your politicians salmon farms are feedlots, they belong on land. The salmon farmers need

help learning how to grow up and behave responsibly. Wild salmon are a gift we will not be given

twice. Will we rob our children of clean food? Please stop this industry before a devastating virus

destroys the last wild salmon. Viral pollution is unforgiveable and our children will not understand

why we did this to them.

Alexandra Morton

Biologist

Canada

www.alexandramorton.ca

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

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

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/b/44310b69-1c27-4933-a016-7fe2adcaee7c

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/b/44310b69-1c27-4933-a016-7fe2adcaee7c

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2013/06/12/norway-to-pass-eu-law-on-higher-toxin-level-in-salmon-feed/

http://www.undercurrentnews.com/2013/06/12/norway-to-pass-eu-law-on-higher-toxin-level-in-salmon-feed/

http://www.alexandramorton.ca/







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

http://vimeo.com/84170239

http://vimeo.com/84170239




Petition: Save Lelu Island

http://savelelu.ca/




Oil collects along the coastline just north of Refugio State Beach

Big Oil Spill Along Refugio Coast

UPDATE: Leak Contained, but Four Miles of Beach and Ocean are Filled with Crude

May 19, 2015

[UPDATE, 8:13 p.m.]: Plains All American Pipeline issued the following statement, which contradicts

initial reports from the county's Office of Emergency Management that the broken pipeline was

inoperative:

http://www.independent.com/news/2015/may/19/big-oil-spill-along-refugio-coast/




"Earlier today, Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., became aware of a crude oil release from its 24-

inch Las Flores to Gaviota pipeline in Santa Barbara County. Initial reports indicate the released oil

reached a culvert leading to the Pacific Ocean. As a result, the spill has impacted ocean water and

the shoreline. At this time, the amount of released oil is unknown.

"Plains shut down the flow of oil in the pipeline and has initiated its emergency response plan. The

culvert has been blocked so no additional oil is reaching the water. Plains is working with local

officials and first responders on site to begin clean up and remediation efforts.

"Plains deeply regrets this release has occurred and is making every effort to limit its environmental

impact. Our focus remains on ensuring the safety of all involved. No injuries have been reported at

this time.

Plains will continue to provide updates on the response effort as more information is made available.

For the most up-to-date information throughout the response or to make direct inquiries, please visit

www.plainsupdate.com. A claims and information number has been established at 866 753 3619."

[UPDATE, 6:08 p.m.]: Lt. Jonathan McCormick with the U.S. Coast Guard said an estimated 21,000

gallons of oil spilled into the ocean. That estimate comes from Plains All American Pipeline. An

independent assessment has not yet been completed, he said, and it's unknown how many gallons

of crude remain on land and along the shoreline. A sheen of oil approximately four miles long and 50-

100 yards wide extends south from the spill site north of Refugio State Beach. Land and ocean

cleanup crews are currently working to mop up the mess.

Dr. Takashi Wada, head of the County's Public Health Department, gave the order to shut down the

beach and nearby park. A warning has been issued for El Capitan State Beach as the slick continues

to slowly creep south.

Owen Bailey, executive director of the Environmental Defense Center, issued this statement not long

ago: “Unfortunately with accidents and oil development, it is not a question of if, but of when. But to

see this level of spill into such a sensitive and treasured environment is devastating to watch. These

waters are known as the Galapagos of North America with numerous species of endangered whales

migrating through marine protected areas and off the iconic and beloved Gaviota Coast.

In the wake of the terrible 1969 Santa Barbra oil spill, our communities have fought for many years to

protect this as one of the most important environments in all of California. Looking forward at new,

risky coastal drilling applications from Venoco to drill off Ellwood and Sunset/Exxon to drill from

Vandenberg Air Force Base, this is an important reminder that we must redouble our efforts to make

safer, cleaner and forward-looking decisions on energy production.”

And Becca Claassen, Santa Barbara organizer for Food & Water Watch, said this: "The oil spill near

Refugio State Beach is a stark reminder of the dangerous risks expanded oil drilling poses to Santa

Barbara County’s environment and its residents’ quality of life. This incident is all the more reason to

ban fracking both offshore and onshore to help prevent future spills and protect Santa Barbara’s

beautiful beaches and coastal environment.”

(READ ENTIRE INDEPENDENT ARTICLE HERE)

http://www.independent.com/news/2015/may/19/big-oil-spill-along-refugio-coast/







Oil train derailment prompts evacuation in North Dakota town

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/may/06/oil-train-derailment-prompts-evacuation-north-dako/




HEIMDAL, N.D. — A town of about three dozen people in central North Dakota has been evacuated

after an oil train derailed and caught fire.

Wells County Emergency Manager Tammy Roehrich says no injuries have been reported from the

Wednesday morning accident near Heimdal, about 115 miles northeast of Bismarck.

Roehrich says the town’s roughly 35 residents have left and are staying with family and friends.

State Emergency Services spokeswoman Cecily Fong says 10 tanker cars are on fire, creating thick

black smoke.

It’s unclear how many cars were part of the train, or how many derailed. There’s no immediate word

on the cause.

A team of investigators from the Federal Railroad Administration was expected to arrive on the scene

by mid-day Wednesday.




This file photo made available by the Office of the Governor of West Virginia shows a derailed train in

Mount Carbon, Wva

New rules on oil trains draw flak from firefighters, too

May 11, 2015

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and environmental and industry groups criticized the federal

government’s new safety measures for oil trains when they were announced earlier this month. Now

another group has expressed disappointment in the new rules:

http://www.theolympian.com/2015/05/11/3721164_new-rules-on-oil-trains-draw-flak.html?rh=1

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/05/01/265312/new-oil-train-rules-leave-a-lot.html




Emergency responders. They’re among the first in danger when a fiery derailment happens.

After another oil train derailed and caught fire last week, this time in North Dakota and the fifth in

North America this year, firefighters renewed their call for more training and information about

hazardous rail shipments.

The International Association of Fire Fighters’ primary objection to the new rules is about their

information-sharing requirements. But Elizabeth Harman, an assistant to the general president of the

group, also said firefighters needed more training on responding to hazardous materials incidents.

The rule didn’t directly address that issue, though some lawmakers have sought additional funding.

“The training that’s needed has been developed,” she said. “This is the first step that needs to be

funded and expanded for all first responders.”

Harman said her group had been talking to the Federal Emergency Management Agency about

making more competitive grants available for first-responder training.

Tank cars still showing accident vulnerability

Tens of thousands of rail tank cars haul flammable liquids, such as crude oil and ethanol, across

North America, and most have weak spots that make them vulnerable to puncture and fire in an

accident. A new tank car design has been approved, but is not widely available yet. There have five

serious oil train derailments so far this year.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/05/06/265767/oil-train-derails-in-north-dakota.html

https://www.fema.gov/




Feb. 14, Gogama, Ontario, 29 cars of a Canadian National oil train derail and a fire engulfs seven

cars. No injuries are reported.

Feb. 16, Mount Carbon, W.V., 28 cars of a CSX oil train derail along the banks of the Kanawha River.

One injury reported.

March 5, Galena, Ill., 21 cars of a BNSF crude oil train derail and a fire erupts.

March 7, Gogama, Ont., 39 cars of a Canadian National oil train derail and a fire engulfs multiple

cars. A bridge is destroyed by the heat. No injuries are reported.

May 6, Heimdal, N.D., six cars of a BNSF crude oil train derail and a fire erupts, forcing temporary

evacuation of Heimdal.

*In addition to the 2015 accidents, the map locates selected derailments from 1981 through 2014

involving DOT-111A tank cars that polluted waterways and threatened cities with flammable or toxic

chemicals.

Sources: McClatchy Washington Bureau, National Transportation Safety Board, Department of

Transportation, Surface Transportation Board, Association of American Railroads, Railway Supply

Institute




Since 2010, an exponentially larger volume of flammable liquids, especially crude oil and ethanol,

has been moving by rail, and with it has come an increase in risk to communities.

“We need to be prepared for it, and we’re willing to be prepared for it,” Harman said.

The rail industry and the government have funded new training for emergency responders as a result

of the increased risk. Railroads train 20,000 firefighters a year in communities across the country,

according to the Association of American Railroads, an industry group.

Since last summer, the rail industry has paid to send hundreds more to an advanced firefighting

academy in Pueblo, Colo., designed for responding to oil train fires.

While firefighter groups have praised the industry’s efforts, 65 percent of fire departments involved in

responding to hazardous materials incidents still have no formal training in that area, according to

a 2010 survey by the National Fire Protection Association.

While no first responders have been injured in multiple oil train derailments and fires in the past year

and a half, they’ve faced numerous challenges:

– When an oil train derailed and caught fire near Casselton, N.D., on Dec. 30, 2013, a BNSF student

engineer became an ad-hoc first responder. According to interview transcripts published last month

by the National Transportation Safety Board, the student donned firefighting gear and equipment as

he uncoupled cars that were still on the track to move them away from the fire.

– When an oil train derailed and caught fire in downtown Lynchburg, Va., on April 30, 2014, first

responders didn’t know right away which railroad to call, since two companies operate tracks through

the city. According to a presentation at a conference of transportation professionals in Washington in

January, it also took 45 minutes for first responders to obtain documents showing them what the train

was carrying.

– After an oil train derailed and caught fire near Galena, Ill., on March 5 this year, volunteer

firefighters could reach the remote site only via a bike path. Once there, they attempted to extinguish

the fire, but had to retreat when they realized they couldn’t, leaving their equipment behind.

According to local news reports, their radios didn’t work, either.

Harman said the U.S. Department of Transportation’s new regulations for trains carrying crude oil,

ethanol and other flammable liquids didn’t go far enough with respect to information that railroads

provided to communities.

Under an emergency order the department issued last May, railroads were required to report large

shipments of Bakken crude oil to state emergency-response commissions, which then disseminated

that information to local fire departments.

But under the department’s new rules, starting next year, railroads will no longer report the

information to the states, and fire departments that want the information will have to go directly to the

railroads. It also will be shielded from public disclosure.

“These new rules fall short of requiring rail operators to provide the information fire departments need

to respond effectively when the call arrives,” said Harold Schaitberger, general president of the

firefighters group.

https://www.aar.org/

http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/the-fire-service/administration/needs-assessment

http://www.nfpa.org/

http://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/05/01/226261/oil-train-derailment-spares-but.html

http://www.dot.gov/briefing-room/final-rule-on-safe-rail-transport-of-flammable-liquids

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/05/01/265320/new-oil-train-safety-rules-will.html




Susan Lagana, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, said Friday that the

department was reviewing feedback from emergency responders and lawmakers to address their

concerns.

She said the new rule would expand the amount of information available to first responders and

noted that for now, last year’s emergency order remains in place.

Ed Greenberg, a spokesman for the Association of American Railroads, said the industry was

reviewing the new regulations. He said it had shared information with first responders for years and

would continue to do so.

Greenberg said the industry was developing a mobile application called AskRail that would give

emergency responders immediate access to information about a train’s cargo.

“Freight railroads have ongoing dialogue with first responders, residents and local civic officials on

rail operations and emergency planning,” he said.

Emergency planners in Washington state sought more information about oil trains from BNSF,

including routing information, worst-case derailment scenarios, response planning and insurance

coverage. On April 30, the railroad met with state fire chiefs in Olympia.

“I think both sides learned a little bit about the other group’s point of view,” said Wayne Senter, the

executive director of the Washington Fire Chiefs. “I was pretty positive by the end of the meeting the

information we asked for in our letter was either available or will soon be available either directly or

indirectly.”

https://askrail.us/

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2015/05/03/4272221_washington-fire-chiefs-seek-bnsf.html?rh=1




Petition: Add Your Name: Demand Fair Trade, Not Toxic Trade!

The Trans-Pacific Partnership empowers corporate polluters to sue governments in private

trade courts, claiming that environmental and climate policies reduce corporate profits. Help

us stop it!

The TPP would grant enormous new rights to multinational corporations and make it harder

for governments to safeguard our air, water and climate. Add your name to support

responsible trade that puts people and the environment first.

I am deeply concerned that the Trans-Pacific Partnership has been negotiated in complete

secrecy. The deal would give broad new rights to multinational corporations to challenge

climate policies in private trade tribunals and would expand fracking and natural gas exports.

While corporate polluters have helped to shape the deal behind closed doors, the average

citizen has been left in the dark.

It's time for trade agreements to put people before profits. I stand with the Sierra Club in

calling for a new model of trade that is responsible, fair and sustainable.

https://www.addup.org/campaigns/add-your-name-demand-fair-trade-not-toxic-trade?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=internationalclimate&utm_content=20150428_notofasttrack&s_src=715CBAZZ01&s_subsrc=addup




New Documents Reveal Serious Corrosion Concerns for Tar Sands Pipelines

May 1, 2015

More evidence has emerged that tar sands pipelines may not be as safe as industry claims. Back in

2010, TransCanada, the company behind the controversial proposed Keystone XL tar sands

pipeline, opened a smaller tar sands pipeline to move tar sands crude oil from Alberta, Canada to

Illinois and Oklahoma. That pipeline, now known as "Keystone 1," moves about 500,000 barrels of tar

sands into the U.S. every day when operating. But its short operating history has been plagued by

problems. In its first year, the pipeline spilled 12 times. Then, in October 2012, two years after

opening, the pipeline was suddenly shut down for immediate repairs due to undisclosed safety

issues.

Nearly three years later, documents obtained by DeSmog Blog through the U.S. Freedom of

Information Act (FOIA) reveal just how serious those safety issues were. In short, a contractor

inspecting a segment of the pipeline in Missouri discovered an area where 95% of the pipeline's wall

had corroded--about 1/3 the thickness of a dime. This initial discovery led to the finding of three more

areas of corrosion ranging from 78-83% of the pipeline's wall. So, what's happening to Keystone 1?

And, more importantly, what could this mean for other tar sands pipelines, including the proposed

Keystone XL tar sands pipeline?

The 2010 Enbridge pipeline rupture in Marshall, Michigan.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jaxelrod/new_documents_reveal_serious_c.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=socialmedia

http://www.pipelineandgasjournal.com/keystone-pipeline-project-moving-toward-completion

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/08/17/297576/oil-spills-transcanada-keystone-xl-pipeline/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/transcanada-keystone-pipeline-shut-down_n_1982478.html

http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/2013-0174%20-%20Second%20Response%20Package%202015.04.09.pdf

http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/04/30/exclusive-transcanada-keystone-1-pipeline-suffered-major-corrosion-only-two-years-operation-95-worn-one-section




Unfortunately, the answers to these questions have not been provided to the public, nor has any

information about whether a spill may have occurred in relation to these discoveries. DeSmog

explains that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) withheld any

documents related to an ongoing compliance review by the agency.

But high rates of external corrosion on tar sands and other heavy oil pipelines have been an issue of

heated public debate for several years. In 2011, NRDC published a report highlighting the potential

safety issues that arise from transporting tar sands crude in the form of diluted bitumen through

pipelines. One point raised in the report is particularly striking given the information revealed by

DeSmog's FOIA request. This has to do with the operating temperatures of tar sands pipelines.

According to permits and field observations, tar sands pipelines operate above 130°F, often reaching

temperatures as high as 150°F.

Another pipeline network with a much longer history of moving heavy oil drives the importance of this

fact home. In California, the network of pipes that move oil from Bakersfield's Kern River field to

California refineries has been plagued by a history of numerous spills and other safety issues. A ten-

year study of that network confirmed that pipeline operating temperatures are the key to the problem.

In sum, it was found that, regardless of pipeline age, coating, or material, pipelines operating in the

130-160°F range leaked due to external corrosion at a rate 24 times greater than pipelines operating

at lower temperatures.

For months, the arguments against the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline have centered on

its serious climate impacts. The release of these new documents once again brings the issue of

pipeline safety to fore, providing another critical piece of evidence that Keystone XL and all pipelines

identified by Big Oil as conduits for tar sands pose serious threats to the communities and waterways

they pass through on their journey through the American heartland. It is time we acknowledge that

locking in this dangerous, heavily-polluting infrastructure is not in the national interest, and that

saying no to the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is a necessary step toward moving the

U.S., and the world, toward an alternative energy future.

https://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/tarsandssafetyrisks.pdf

https://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/tarsandssafetyrisks.pdf

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aswift/tar_sands_pipeline_safety_risk.html


http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pipeline/pdf/publication/pipelineriskassessment.pdf

http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pipeline/pdf/publication/pipelineriskassessment.pdf






Enbridge Agrees To Pay $75 Million For Massive Kalamazoo River Tar Sands Spill

May 14, 2014

Canadian oil company Enbridge has agreed to pay $75 million for its role in a 2010 pipeline rupture

that resulted in the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history.

Enbridge settled with the state of Michigan this week over the Kalamazoo River oil spill, a disaster

that sent more than 800,000 gallons of Canadian tar sands crude into the river. Under the settlement,

the oil company will pay $30 million to restore or create 300 acres of wetlands, in an effort to help to

improve the health of the Kalamazoo River. The spill affected 38 miles of the river itself and 4,435

acres of shoreline, according to the Detroit Free Press.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/14/3658797/enbridge-kalamazoo-river-settlement/

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/14/3658797/enbridge-kalamazoo-river-settlement/

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/05/13/oil-spill-settlement/27227131/




$18 million of the settlement will go towards removing a dam and making other changes to help the

river flow more naturally, $10 million will go towards building and maintaining more boating and

recreation access sites to the river, and $5 million will go towards additional river restoration.

The remaining $12 million will go towards reimbursing the state of Michigan for attorney costs, as

well as for the state’s role in the cleanup and restoration of the river. The cleanup of the spill proved

difficult and expensive — tar sands is thicker than conventional oil, so instead of floating on top of the

river’s water it sank to the bottom. That meant that Enbridge had to dredge the bottom of the river

and the river banks to try to remove the oil, and then plant native vegetation along the banks in an

attempt to restore the surrounding land. Enbridge puts the cost of cleanup of the spill at $1.21 billion,

a figure that’s $85.9 million higher the company first estimated.

In spite of this cleanup, residents who live near the river still say they

see residual oil in the river, and they won’t fish in it.

“Anybody that’s aware there was an oil spill doesn’t go in the river. I would say 80 percent of the

community is very aware that the water isn’t safe,” Calhoun County resident Chris Wahmhoff told Al

Jazeera America.

As part of the settlement, Enbridge will continue to monitor the river and surrounding wetlands,

and will clean any oil that remains in the river, as long as the cleanup doesn’t cause further

environmental damage.

Enbridge’s $75 million settlement comes on top of additional fines and settlements from the oil spill

already made by the company. After the spill, the company was fined $3.7 million in civil penalties

from the Department of Transportation. The company also settled a class action lawsuit for $6.25

million, a portion of which will be paid out to plaintiffs who lived or owned property within 1,000 feet of

the Kalamazoo River. Some of these residents —about 150 families, according to InsideClimate

News — were forced to move after they were faced with the fumes and oil that, in some cases,

saturated lawns. Enbridge also agreed, as part of the settlement, to donate $150,000 to local

environmental groups.

In announcing the settlement, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant

was positive, calling the agreement a “huge win for Michigan’s environment.”

“We are pleased to announce this settlement, because the key provisions are projects to improve

and restore the river corridor. This settlement will mean improved water quality, improved fish and

wildlife habitat, and an improved experience for river users in the years to come,” Wyant said.

Some environmental groups, however, were more cautious in their reactions to the settlement. Mike

Shriberg, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office in

Michigan, told InsideClimate News that he didn’t yet know if the $75 million was enough to fully bring

back the river, though he was glad to see that a good portion of the money would go towards

restoration.

“What’s less clear is whether the amount of funding is enough to achieve long-term restoration goals

for the river as well as to serve as a sufficient penalty for the economic, social and ecological

damages caused,” he said.

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

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/11/2010_oil_spill_cost_enbridge_1.html

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/11/2010_oil_spill_cost_enbridge_1.html

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/5/13/settlements-reached-over-2010-kalamazoo-oil-spill.html



http://insideclimatenews.com/news/13052015/michigan-75-million-settlement-enbridge-kalamazoo-spill-questions

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140410/ruptured-michigan-pipeline-restart-now-new-and-double-capacity

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/12/24/us/ap-us-michigan-oil-spill-settlement.html


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

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120626/dilbit-diluted-bitumen-enbridge-kalamazoo-river-marshall-michigan-oil-spill-6b-pipeline-epa


http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2015/05/75_million_settlement_reached.html

http://insideclimatenews.com/news/13052015/michigan-75-million-settlement-enbridge-kalamazoo-spill-questions




Coal

Save the Chuitna

http://savethechuitna.org/




Christiana Figueres: ‘In general, the higher the renewable energy target, it does attract investment.’

UN climate chief says the science is clear: there is no space for new coal

Christiana Figueres says Australia needs a national consensus to achieve maximum effort

in fight to avoid dangerous climate change

May 4, 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/04/un-climate-chief-says-the-science-is-clear-there-is-no-space-for-new-coal




The UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres, has said there was “no space” for new coal developments

and stressed the benefits of ambitious renewable energy targets after a meeting with representatives

from seven Australian governments.

At the meeting in Adelaide, organised by the South Australian government, federal, state and territory

administrations agreed to work more closely to drive an uptake in renewable energy, coordinate

energy-efficiency schemes and help communities adapt to climate change.

Figueres, the executive secretary of the United Nations framework convention on climate change,

urged the states and territories to work with the federal government to help deliver a “strong” global

agreement at key climate talks in Paris in December.

The meeting was attended by the environment ministers of the Labor-run states and territories –

Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT. The federal government, Tasmanian and New

South Wales governments were represented at “senior official level”, and Western Australia and the

Northern Territory were absent.

According to the meeting’s official communiqué, Figueres warned of the dangers of the world

exceeding 2C of warming compared with pre-industrial times and “emphasized that the science is

clear that there is no space for new coal or unmitigated coal”.

Afterwards, Figueres said Australia needed a national consensus to achieve a “maximum possible

effort” in the battle to avoid dangerous climate change.

Asked about the federal government’s alleged reticence towards ambitious greenhouse gas

reductions, Figueres said “like the oceans, there are ebbs and flows about everything”.

“We welcome that the federal government is turning in its national target by July and I’m confident it

will encompass what the states and territories are doing,” she said. “I’m confident we will be

pleasantly surprised.”

Figueres said the states and territories could “buttress the efforts of Australia more at the

international level so Australia can actually stand up there with other industrialized countries in fair

effort”.

“States and territories are a lot closer to citizens than the federal government and perhaps they are

reflecting more the concerns about climate change and the opportunities that are there.”

Figueres would not comment directly on the lengthy political impasse over the federal renewable

energy target (RET) but said: “In general, the higher the renewable energy target, it does attract

investment. If there’s anything that’s growing in recent years in Australia, it’s renewable energy

investment. It’s a positive factor to have an ambitious renewable energy target.”

The federal government has begun consulting over emissions reduction targets beyond 2020, which

will be the focus of the Paris climate talks.

The state and territory ministers’ communiqué “noted recommendations by the Climate Change

Authority for a minimum 2020 reduction target of 19%, rising to 30% by 2025 in order to meet

international expectations”.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/christiana-figueres

http://newsroom.unfccc.int/about/

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/04/coalition-may-soften-on-renewable-energy-as-labor-to-consider-33000-gwh-target




The Greens have said the authority’s recommendations would not be enough to help stave off 2C

warming, although Greg Hunt, the federal environment minister, has called the proposed goals

“onerous”.

South Australia’s climate change minister, Ian Hunter, said he hoped the federal government would

“put aside partisanship” and “embrace” the Climate Change Authority’s proposed targets.

Lisa Neville, Victoria’s environment minister, said the Victorian government also backed the Climate

Change Authority’s proposed targets.

“Victoria believes that the Commonwealth should accept the recommendations in the Climate

Change Authority’s report, a report which the government itself commissioned,” she said.

“The [Daniel] Andrews government has committed to reviewing a Victorian emissions target and i

have started the important work on consulting with the experts to get it right.”

Queensland’s environment minister, Steve Miles, said the state was “re-engaging” on climate change

after the defeat of a Campbell Newman-led government that reportedly banned a local council from

mentioning sea level rises.

“We are ready to work with other states to reduce carbon pollution,” he said. “I can tell you I’m

personally committed to limiting global warming to under 2C, for the sake of the Great Barrier Reef,

the jobs on the reef and our children’s future.”

Projections released by the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology in January show that Australia is set

to have an average annual temperature 1.3C higher in 2030 than the average experienced between

1986 and 2005. This will be accompanied by more extreme droughts and less rainfall in the southern

portion of the country, according to the projections.

Beyond this, Australia could warm by more than 5C by 2090, compared with pre-industrial times, if

little effort is made to cut the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

Australia, which experienced its warmest and third warmest years on record in 2013 and 2014

respectively, has already warmed by 0.9C since 1910.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/22/greg-hunt-says-cutting-emissions-by-30-by-2025-is-an-onerous-goal

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/22/greg-hunt-says-cutting-emissions-by-30-by-2025-is-an-onerous-goal

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/26/climate-change-will-hit-australia-harder-than-rest-of-world-study-shows




Hydropower / Water Retention

Sam Mace (Save Our Wild Salmon):

Don't hold back. It's time we come together for our wild salmon, our orcas, our communities and

our future. It's time to remove the four #deadbeatdams on the lower Snake River.

A phone call from you to Washington Senators Cantwell (206-220-6400) and Murray (206-553-

5545) is the most powerful thing you can do to help. Tell your senators, "Don't hold back on jobs,

salmon, recreation, orcas, savings and clean energy. Let's take down the dams on the lower Snake

River."

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/deadbeatdams




Why hydropower could be a risky bet in a warming world

April 13, 2015

As investments in wind and solar power climb, backing major hydropower projects may be seen as a

risky bet in a warming world, as studies show that reservoirs may be major sources of

methane emissions and climate change itself could make rain and snowfall less certain in some

regions.

An indicator of where renewables investors are focusing their attention, large hydropower was left out

of a major United Nations and Bloomberg report published last week showing that global investments

in renewables spiked 17% in 2014.

Last year, as costs for wind and solar projects fell and investors saw their potential for reducing

greenhouse gas emissions, investments in wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and small hydropower

projects totaled about $270 billion* in 2014, up from $231 billion in 2013, according to the report.

Those numbers exclude investments in major hydropower projects – along the lines of the Hoover

Dam on the Colorado River or the giant Three Gorges Dam built recently on the Yangtze River in

China – that can generate more than 50 megawatts of electricity.

Yet hydropower figures prominently in how some states and countries are addressing climate change

by reducing their dependency on fossil fuels. Costa Rica, for example, announced recently that all of

its electricity will be renewable in 2015 thanks in large part to hydropower. In the US, which

gets 6% of its electricity from hydro, Burlington, Vt., announced it would be fully running on

renewables in 2015 after buying a hydropower plant last year. 2014 also saw the commissioning of

the 13.9-gigawatt Xiluodu hydropower project in China, and other large hydro projects were financed

in Angola, Costa Rica and Laos.

In the eight years Bloomberg and the UN have tracked global renewables investing in an annual

report, large hydro has never been included.

“There’s a question about sustainability,” Angus McCrone, chief editor of Bloomberg New Energy

Finance and chief editor of the report, said. “And the other issue is, it’s a very mature technology. If

you’re looking at trends in new renewables, the picture doesn’t come in any clearer if you’ve put in

numbers of large hydro.”

Bloomberg estimates that investments were made on between 15-20GW of large hydro in 2014,

equalling about a third of global solar power investments, down from 20-25GW the previous year.

Investments in small hydro, projects that generate between 1 and 50 megawatts of electricity, also

shrank last year, partly because of drought fears.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2015/4/13/wind-power/why-hydropower-could-be-risky-bet-warming-world

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/hydropower-as-major-methane-emitter-18246

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/hydropower-as-major-methane-emitter-18246

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/uncertainty-a-hurdle-in-colorado-climate-adaptation-planning-17006

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/paradigm-shift-in-renewable-energy-investments-18830

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3044360/costa-rica-is-now-running-on-100-renewable-electricity

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=hydropower_home

https://www.burlingtonelectric.com/about-us/our-mission/news/mayor-miro-weinberger-and-bed-announce-completion-city-purchase-winooski

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiluodu_Dam

http://about.bnef.com/about-us/our-team/




Most small hydro projects were in developing countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and Latin

America, where small hydropower plants serve as a major source of electricity, according to the

report. But as other countries looked for ways to reduce their vulnerability to drought, they began

looking toward wind, solar and other renewables, driving a 21% decrease in investments in small

hydroelectric projects in 2014.

McCrone said Bloomberg expects between about 16-40GW of hydroelectric generating capacity to

be built each year through 2020.

Large hydro projects will likely be built in the coming years, especially in Africa and Asia, while the

US is entering an era of dam decommissioning or refurbishment rather than construction of new

hydroelectric dams, said David Michel, director of environmental security for the Stimson Center, a

Washington, DC-based and partly UN- and US government-funded think tank focusing on water

management, climate change and national security.

“On a global basis, it’s a risk factor of uncertainty,” he said.

Hydropower dams are long-term investments that last many decades, and climate models show that

precipitation may become less certain in some areas, making a decision to build new hydro projects

difficult for governments and private investors, he said.

The historic California drought is an example of how changing rain and snowfall patterns,

possibly fueled by climate change, are affecting hydropower projects. The drought has caused a 60%

drop in hydroelectric power generation in California as reservoirs dry up amid the drought. That

inability to produce hydropower has forced Pacific Gas and Electric, one of the state’s major utilities,

to impose a 1.5% rate increase to offset the loss in hydropower, according to the Sacramento Bee.

As the renewables investment report suggests by excluding large hydro, future investments in

hydropower will focus on small projects because they cost less to build, Michel said.

Small hydro projects also have less local environmental impact than larger projects and less money

is at stake if climate change makes a small project obsolete.

“The next Hoover Dam is not something we’re going to see in our lifetimes,” Michel said.

*All dollar figures are in USD

http://www.stimson.org/experts/david-michel/

http://www.stimson.org/

http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/Stimson_Funding_Report_2014.pdf

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/global-warming-fueled-heat-calif.-drought-18719

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/hints-of-climate-change-in-californias-drought-18109

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article16494344.html


http://www.pge.com/


http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/




Cowlitz Falls Dam

Cowlitz River Dams Built to Withstand Most Earthquakes

MINIMAL DAMAGE: Safety Engineers Say the Worst Predictable Earthquake Might Create Some

Cracks; Failure Would Result in a ‘World of Hurt’

May 12, 2015

With 51 dams, Lewis County is ranked No. 7 out of 39 counties for the most water retention structures

in the state of Washington.

Three dams on the Cowlitz River in Lewis County all pose hazards to downstream residents if they

were to fail.

The Cowlitz Falls dam, owned by Lewis County Public Utilities District, is rated 1C, meaning seven to

30 lives are at risk if it fails.

The Tacoma Power-owned Mossyrock and Mayfield dams are both rated 1A with more than 300 lives

at risk, according to the state Department of Ecology’s Inventory of Dams with data through October

2014.

http://www.chronline.com/crime/article_81d6fdc8-f8cf-11e4-9b2a-73888de70b76.html




“They monitor this really, really closely because they realize the responsibility that they have to

maintain structural integrity under all types of conditions,” Lewis County Emergency Management

Director Steve Mansfield said.

A failure at Mossyrock and Mayfield dams would cause widespread flooding in southern Lewis

County and into Cowlitz County, Mansfield said. But there are plans in place if failures were to

happen.

Steve Grega, at Cowlitz Falls, and Toby Brewer, of Tacoma Power, both hold the title of chief dam

safety engineer with one of their primary focuses being structural integrity for different hazards,

including earthquakes.

Officials at the dams looked at the maximum ground acceleration for different “maximum credible”

earthquakes in the region. Brewer said the models test for three different local earthquakes — a 6.5

magnitude quake close to the ground surface with an epicenter near Mossyrock, a 7.5 magnitude

from the Juan de Fuca plate and a 9.0 magnitude earthquake originating from the offshore Cascadia

fault.

Brewer said the earthquake near Mossyrock would cause the highest peak ground acceleration at

0.55g, or 55 percent of the weight of gravity.

All three dams would withstand the scenarios and maybe receive a few cracks and other slight

damage.

“As far as a whole dam washing out, it’s highly unlikely,” Grega said.

If something did happen causing the dam, which was built in 1993, to break, Grega said less than 1

foot of water would fill Mossyrock.

But if Mossyrock or Mayfield broke, which is also highly unlikely, Brewer said it would be damaging.

“If Mossyrock were to go out it would scour the river bed from there to Longview and Toledo and

some of the local towns downstream would be in a world of hurt,” Brewer said.

The dams keep and test detailed emergency plans in case something were to happen.

Both of Tacoma Power’s dams were built in the 1960s and were designed to withstand ground

acceleration at 0.15g; however, Brewer said the models and tests have proven that they can handle

more than that.

The dams regularly run scenario drills for different hazards, including earthquakes, floods, volcanic

eruptions and sabotage events as required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Operators also make daily, weekly and monthly rounds checking the structure and dam

measurements. Every five years, independent consultants review all safety issues for the dams.

If changes to expected seismicity are discovered, the dams have to factor those into their plans. But

for now, experts aren’t predicting any regional earthquakes powerful enough to cause any of the three

dams on the Cowlitz River to fail, Brewer said, noting that he spoke to consultants just last week.




Solar




In Hawaii, where 12 percent of the homes have solar panels, handling the surplus power is putting

pressure on the state’s biggest utility, which is fighting to reduce what it pays for the energy.

Solar Power Battle Puts Hawaii at Forefront of Worldwide Changes

April 20, 2015

Watch, Listen, Learn HERE

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/business/energy-environment/solar-power-battle-puts-hawaii-at-forefront-of-worldwide-changes.html?emc=eta1

http://www.nytimes.com/video/business/energy-environment/100000003613973/utility-vs-homeowners-over-solar-power.html?action=click&gtype=vhs&version=vhs-heading&module=vhs&region=title-area




HONOLULU — Allan Akamine has looked all around the winding, palm tree-lined cul-de-sacs of his

suburban neighborhood in Mililani here on Oahu and, with an equal mix of frustration and

bemusement, seen roof after roof bearing solar panels.

Mr. Akamine, 61, a manager for a cable company, has wanted nothing more than to lower his $600

to $700 monthly electric bill with a solar system of his own. But for 18 months or so, the state’s

biggest utility barred him and thousands of other customers from getting one, citing concerns that

power generated by rooftop systems was overwhelming its ability to handle it.

Only under strict orders from state energy officials did the utility, the Hawaiian Electric Company,

recently rush to approve the lengthy backlog of solar applications, including Mr. Akamine’s.

It is the latest chapter in a closely watched battle that has put this state at the forefront of a global

upheaval in the power business. Rooftop systems now sit atop roughly 12 percent of Hawaii’s

homes, according to the federal Energy Information Administration, by far the highest proportion in

the nation.

Household panels for solar power and hot water in Kapolei, Hawaii. Installing new electrical panels

was blocked there until recently.




“Hawaii is a postcard from the future,” said Adam Browning, executive director of Vote Solar, a policy

and advocacy group based in California.

Other states and countries, including California, Arizona, Japan and Germany, are struggling to adapt

to the growing popularity of making electricity at home, which puts new pressures on old

infrastructure like circuits and power lines and cuts into electric company revenue.

As a result, many utilities are trying desperately to stem the rise of solar, either by reducing

incentives, adding steep fees or effectively pushing home solar companies out of the market. In

response, those solar companies are fighting back through regulators, lawmakers and the courts.

The shift in the electric business is no less profound than those that upended the telecommunications

and cable industries in recent decades. It is already remaking the relationship between power

companies and the public while raising questions about how to pay for maintaining and operating the

nation’s grid.

The issue is not merely academic, electrical engineers say.

In solar-rich areas of California and Arizona, as well as in Hawaii, all that solar-generated electricity

flowing out of houses and into a power grid designed to carry it in the other direction has caused

unanticipated voltage fluctuations that can overload circuits, burn lines and lead to brownouts or

blackouts.

Load dispatchers monitor the electrical grid at the Hawaiian Electric Company’s operations center in

Honolulu. The utility says power from household solar panels can destabilize the system.




“Hawaii’s case is not isolated,” said Massoud Amin, a professor of electrical and computer

engineering at the University of Minnesota and chairman of the smart grid program at the Institute of

Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a technical association. “When we push year-on-year 30 to 40

percent growth in this market, with the number of installations doubling, quickly — every two years or

so — there’s going to be problems.”

The economic threat also has electric companies on edge. Over all, demand for electricity is

softening while home solar is rapidly spreading across the country. There are now about 600,000

installed systems, and the number is expected to reach 3.3 million by 2020, according to the Solar

Energy Industries Association.

The Edison Electric Institute, the main utility trade group, has been warning its members of the

economic perils of high levels of rooftop solar since at least 2012, and the companies are

responding. In February, the Salt River Project, a large utility in Arizona, approved charges that could

add about $50 to a typical monthly bill for new solar customers, while last year in Wisconsin, where

rooftop solar is still relatively rare, regulators approved fees that would add $182 a year for the

average solar customer.

In Hawaii, the current battle began in 2013, when Hawaiian Electric started barring installations of

residential solar systems in certain areas. It was an abrupt move — a panicked one, critics say —

made after the utility became alarmed by the technical and financial challenges of all those homes

suddenly making their own electricity.

The utility wants to cut roughly in half the amount it pays customers for solar electricity they send

back to the grid. But after a study showed that with some upgrades the system could handle much

more solar than the company had assumed, the state’s public utilities commission ordered the utility

to begin installations or prove why it could not.

It was but one sign of the agency’s growing impatience with what it considers the utility’s failure to

adapt its business model to the changing market.

A technician adjusts a power meter in Honolulu.

http://www.srpnet.com/newsroom/releases/022615.aspx




Hawaiian Electric is scrambling to accede to that demand, approving thousands of applications in

recent weeks. But it is under pressure on other fronts as well. NextEra Energy, based in Florida, is

awaiting approval to buy it, while other islands it serves are exploring defecting to form their own

cooperative power companies.

It is also upgrading its circuits and meters to better regulate the flow of electricity. Rooftop solar

makes far more power than any other single source, said Colton Ching, vice president for energy

delivery at Hawaiian Electric, but the utility can neither control nor predict the output.

“At every different moment, we have to make sure that the amount of power we generate is equal to

the amount of energy being used, and if we don’t keep that balance things go unstable,” he said,

pointing to the illuminated graphs and diagrams tracking energy production from wind and solar

farms, as well as coal-fueled generators in the utility’s main control room. But the rooftop systems are

“essentially invisible to us,” he said, “because they sit behind a customer’s meter and we don’t have a

means to directly measure them.”

For customers, such explanations offer little comfort as they continue to pay among the highest

electric rates in the country and still face an uncertain solar future.

“I went through all this trouble to get my electric bill down, and I am still waiting,” said Joyce Villegas,

88, who signed her contract for a system in August 2013 but was only recently approved and is

waiting for the installation to be completed.

Mr. Akamine expressed resignation over the roughly $12,000 he could have saved, but wondered

about the delay. “Why did it take forceful urging from the local public utility commission to open up

more permits?” he asked.

Installers — who saw their fast-growing businesses slow to a trickle — are also frustrated with the

pace. For those who can afford it, said James Whitcomb, chief executive of Haleakala Solar, which

he started in 1977, the answer may lie in a more radical solution: Avoid the utility and its grid

altogether.

Customers are increasingly asking about the batteries that he often puts in along with the solar

panels, allowing them to store the power they generate during the day for use at night. It is more

expensive, but it breaks consumer reliance on the utility’s network of power lines.

“I’ve actually taken people right off the grid,” he said, including a couple who got tired of waiting for

Hawaiian Electric to approve their solar system and expressed no interest in returning to utility

service. “The lumbering big utilities that are so used to taking three months to study this and then six

months to do that — what they don’t understand is that things are moving at the speed of business.

Like with digital photography — this is inevitable.”




Precious Metals Mining

Contents from a tailings pond is pictured going down the Hazeltine Creek into Quesnel Lake near the town of Likely, B.C. on August, 5, 2014. The tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine burst without warning at 1 a.m. last August 4, hours after workers were at the foot of the structure.

Water near Mount Polley gold mine still tainted, tests find

Consultants predict Quesnel Lake water to clear by summer

April 26, 2015

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Water+near+Mount+Polley+gold+mine+still+tainted+tests+find/11006299/story.html




Water test results following the Mount Polley mine dam failure eight months ago have continued to

show periodic elevated levels of metals.

The latest results from February and March show government guidelines were exceeded for copper

for aquatic life on the Quesnel River near the town of Likely, downstream from the mine.

Provincial officials continue to say the water is safe to drink as long as it is filtered, though there have

been some exceedances of drinking water guidelines since last fall.

And computer modelling by the company’s consultants predict the metals from fine sediment in

Quesnel Lake should clear up by August, say provincial officials.

That comes as little comfort to some area residents who say they still

don’t trust the water, even though they’ve been told it is safe to drink,

and who also continue to worry about the long-term effects of the dam

failure on fish, a concern shared by scientists.

A dam failure in August at the gold and copper mine released millions of cubic metres of water and

finely ground rock containing potentially-toxic metals, called tailings.

“The colour of the water is still wrong,” says Lawna Bourassa, a resident of Likely adjacent to the

Quesnel River. “It’s a double standard — they say the water is drinking quality but you can’t drink it

because of turbidity.”

Turbidity is a measure of water clarity and the amount of material suspended in the water.

Bourassa noted that before Christmas the water in the river and the lake was a pea soup colour. It

has cleared recently, although not completely, but Bourassa expects the water to get worse again if

the plume of sediment in the lake turns over this spring and pulses out in the river.

In some cases, the test results from the B.C. Ministry of Environment have shown significant elevated

levels.

For example, on Jan. 27, the total aluminum reading in Quesnel Lake at the outlet of Hazeltine Creek

— the path the mine waste flowed to reach the lake — was nearly 15 times the Canadian drinking

water guideline. Tests showed that levels of iron were six times above Canadian drinking water

guidelines and manganese was twice the guideline.

Aluminum levels were also exceeded in the month of January at the Quesnel River bridge at Likely

and farther downstream at the Gravelle Ferry Bridge.

Hubert Bunce, a B.C. Ministry of Environment director who heads up the Mount Polley file, said the

elevated metal readings were a result of sediment-laden deep water turning over to the surface in the

fall and then flushing out in the Quesnel River.

He also noted that readings at the Gravelle River ferry station were affected by water from the

Cariboo River, also containing sediments, that had nothing to do with the Mount Polley mine dam

failure.

Bunce noted that Imperial Metals’ consultants have predicted that the sediment pulses into the

river from Quesnel Lake will clear up by August.




“Now that’s a prediction, a model, but they were pretty accurate at predicting the lake overturn and

resulting sediment outflow from Quesnel Lake at Likely in November and December,” he said.

Sediment has also been released into Quesnel Lake from Hazeltine Creek during the spring thaw,

but only up to 150 metres into the lake, he said.

However, that could worsen if there are heavy rains, added Bunce.

He noted that the elevated readings are largely

for total metals, which are not as great a

concern as dissolved metals.

That’s because total metals — the suspended

tiny particles — are not as easily absorbed by

aquatic life, for example, through the gills of

fish, he said.

Imperial Metals did not respond to The Vancouver Sun for a request for comment about the

monitoring results.

The Vancouver-based company’s website provides updates on its rehabilitation plan and monitoring

program.

Imperial Metals has filed an application to partly restart the mine by discharging tailings into a nearby

open pit.

Bourassa said the ongoing issues and uncertainties about the effects on the watershed from the spill

makes her concerned about the potential reopening of the mine.

Editorial Comment:

What are the readings for dissolved metals – a

greater concern than for total metals?




Corporate Greenwashing

Koch Brothers' Koch Industries Begins First National Ad Campaign

“Koch: From the Heart” – Watch Here

American Petroleum Industry: Energy Superpower is Red, White and Blue

Watch Here

http://adage.com/article/agency-news/koch-industries-launches-national-campaign/293621/

http://bcove.me/uzd18rwo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkK6EFqwHZY




CPI JOINS WITH NORTHWEST RIVERPARTNERS FOR HYDROPOWER

EDUCATION EFFORT

Watch Here

http://www.cpi.coop/2013/02/cpi-joins-with-northwest-riverpartners-for-hydropower-education-effort/

http://www.cpi.coop/2013/02/cpi-joins-with-northwest-riverpartners-for-hydropower-education-effort/

https://youtu.be/tbhLCVhUzcA




Wild Game Fish Management

Ghost Nets Create Ghost Fish




Hoh River

Emergency closure of recreational fishing in the Hoh, South Fork Hoh, rivers

within Olympic National Park

May 18, 2015

DUE TO CONCERNS about the status, trends, and escapement of Hoh River Chinook salmon,

Olympic National Park is closing the Hoh River watershed to recreational fishing effective tomorrow.

The fishing closure includes those portions of the upper Hoh River, South Fork Hoh River, all

tributaries and the Hoh River mouth within Olympic National Park.

The Hoh River mouth will be closed to recreational fishing from May 19 through August 31. The Hoh

River, South Fork Hoh River and their tributaries will be closed from May 19 through October 31.

This emergency closure is designed to maximize the protection of wild spring/summer Chinook

salmon in Olympic National Park.

The state and tribal forecast for spring/summer Chinook is expected to be below the escapement

floor of 900 adults.

Escapement refers to the number of Chinook that escape commercial and recreational fisheries and

reach spawning grounds. Hoh River spring/summer Chinook have failed to meet the escapement

floor in seven of the last eight years.

Spawning for this unique wild population primarily occurs in Olympic National Park.

“The National Park Service seeks to provide diverse recreational fishing opportunities while ensuring

the preservation and restoration of native fish,” said Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “However,

with the run size at low numbers it is critical to provide additional protection for Chinook.”

While the Hoh River watershed is closed, anglers are encouraged to explore other areas in the park

for fishing.

Olympic National Park sport fishing regulations for 2015-2016 are now available on the park's

website at http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fishing.htm, as well as at park visitor centers, fee

booths, ranger stations and area fishing stores.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20150518/NEWS/305189975/emergency-closure-of-recreational-fishing-in-the-hoh-south-fork-hoh

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20150518/NEWS/305189975/emergency-closure-of-recreational-fishing-in-the-hoh-south-fork-hoh

http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fishing.htm




Wildlife Artists:




Gary Haggquist Visual Artist

“Crossing”

Acrylic on panel

12’’ X 24”

http://www.garyhaggquist.com/




Diane Michelin - Fly Fishing Fine Art: "Wading Deep"

Original watercolor

11" x 15"

http://www.dianemichelin.com/



2015 – Removing Ocean-based Salmon Feedlots Dan Wallace: Passion for Authenticity




Leanne Hodges: West Coast Wild

“Choices: A Personal Journey”

http://www.leannehodges.com/




Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses

Riverman Guide Service – since 1969

Kim Malcom – Owner, Operator

Licensed and Insured Guide

Quality Float Trips – Western Washington Rivers – Steelhead, Salmon, Trout

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Learn to fish: experienced, conservation-minded professional instructors

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Cabo Sails

http://www.cabosails.com/




Rhett Weber’s Charterboat “Slammer”

Reserve your 2015 Pacific Ocean fishing adventures on Slammer through Deep Sea

Charters – Westport, Washington

http://deepseacharters.net/reservations/NewRes.php

http://deepseacharters.net/reservations/NewRes.php




Fishmyster Sport Fishing Adventures

Contact us for up-to-date information by calling 250-724-4204 or 250-720-5118 or emailing [email protected].

Your Adventures Fishing BC Start Here!

Fishmyster Sport Fishing Adventures, now in its 25th year of operation Fishing Vancouver Island. Owner and operator Ken Myers is committed to providing quality fishing charters for a wide variety of fishing thrills.

Excursions FISHING BC and the Vancouver Island area.

Ucluelet, Long Beach, Tofino, Barclay Sound and the surrounding area are located in heart of the Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. This region is famous for its world class Sport Fishing and abundance of wildlife. Whales, Sea lions, Seals, Bears, Eagles and many other marine specific critters are sighted regularly during our Ucluelet fishing charters.

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UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS

UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS

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You, Your Family, Couples, Friends, Parents/Grandparents with Children, and Groups...

Anyone can become a UWET Explorer!

Individuals (ages 6/up) seeking interactive small group experiences...

UWET Tours are very small group (4 Explorers maximum per tour)!

Travelers and Cruisers seeking pleasant low-stress tour experiences...

UWET Tours are 100% "Stay-Dry" underwater investigations (explorers do not even get their feet wet)!

Everyday People who fantasize about being a "real" explorer sharing the excitement

and glory of discovery with others... UWET Discovery Tours transform ordinary people into Genuine Underwater Eco-Explorers who have a DVD of their discoveries to share with others!

http://www.cmtravel4fun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=318

http://www.cmtravel4fun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=318




Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing

Booking Now

Montana: (406) 665-3489 Alaska: (907) 842-5480

https://www.facebook.com/westernalaskasportfishing




Bryan Gregson Photography

“As a traveling photographer my life is carried in my pack. The world is my studio, nature is my subject, adventure and exploration are my motivation.

To me, life is about experiencing those moments first hand.”

http://bryangregsonphotography.com/




Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours

Trophy Salmon and Steelhead fishing on the Kitimat River with driftboat, riverraft or pontoonboat, we

offer as well remote streamside wading. We are specialized in fly-fishing and conventional fishing

techniques for silver chrome aggressive steelhead and salmon. We give our clients the opportunity to

fish our headwaters, tributaries and mainstream Kitimat River. The lower section of the Kitimat River

we target with the jet boat and is considered tidal and can offer phenomenal fishing for salmon as

they migrate upriver.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingfish-Westcoast-Adventure-Tours/210962152332314?id=210962152332314&sk=info




Casa Mia Italian Restaurant

http://casamiarestaurants.com/




Spirit Bear Coffee Company

http://www.spiritbearcoffeecompany.com/home.shtml




Hidden Paths - Slovenia

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ProFishGuide: Coastal Fishing at its Best

I focus on Tillamook Bay and its surrounding areas because its known for huge Salmon and acrobatic Steelhead. All of the bait, tackle and rods are top quality so when you hook a trophy it won't be out of reach. All you need to bring is your fishing license, rain gear and camera. Lunches can be provided at extra cost and come highly recommended. Not only will I ensure a great trip, it is also highly educational and fun for the whole family.

I currently guide in Oregon & Alaska for Salmon & Steelhead. I also have experience guiding in Idaho for trout as well as teaching Fly fishing & Fly casting. My certifications include US Coast Guard Certified license, CPR/1st aide, I also hold an Oregon & Alaska guide license, and I am fully insured.

http://profishguide.com/




Silversides Fishing Adventures

http://www.silversidesfishing.com/


